By MARK KITCHIN Staff Writer
May 1, 2026
CHESTER TWP. – Students contributing to the International Baccalaureate Senior Art Exhibition at West Morris Central High School not only showcased projects they have been working on the past two years but also provided the school with a gift that could last a lifetime.
The two-hour Art Expo, which was held on Thursday, April 30 at the school's Bistro and Courtyard, provided a variety of art works in various media.
High school seniors Robyn Craddock, Olivia Eden, Kavya Gupta, Adina Jasper, Sanjana Mallya, Milo Pulido, Thienan Tran and Jina Wee showed off their work which included notebooks documenting their abilities and their growth as artists.
“The seniors tonight are so proud to show off their work,'' West Morris Principal Tim Rymer said. “The work speaks for itself. They are passionate. They are talented. They are driven. They are motivated and they have a beautiful night to show off their efforts.''
The work included a mural of native flaura and fauna of Long Valley in the courtyard that they all collaborated on and that will stand as a permanent fixture. The mural took three weeks to complete and it was finished on Wednesday, the day before the show.
“We have eight seniors,'' IB Art Teacher Lorraine Najjar said. “They are extraordinary. They are talented, creative, hard working, dedicated students.''
All students had to complete classes Art I and Art II before joining IB art as juniors and seniors. Their projects are prompted by Najjar. For example, she would ask them to pick an artist who gives them ideas. From there they choose their own composition as a response and work with any medium of their choice.
The students also keep a notebook associated with their projects that documents their work. At times they are so striking they can be considered projects on their own.
“It's the best part,'' Najjar said. “It shows the process and how much they grow. It shows all the challenging moments of making art and how they problem solve, how they persevered and come through to make something beautiful.'' The IB program gives the artists a lot more freedom to express themselves then the initial Art I and Art II classes.
“The studio art program gives us almost complete freedom,'' Milo Pulido said. “We are only given a prompt to match our images to. We try and advance in our own time and our own medium as much as we can.''
Pulido has always viewed the program as a way to improve his skills. It has also given the confidence to explore working in oils, which can be daunting to some.
“I found my success in getting better and I really appreciate my art more,'' said Pulido, who is headed for the University of Connecticut. “The main thought through all of my art is centered on humanity's relationship to the natural world. I definitely tried to stick most of my pieces as close to that theme as well.''
The students' art is also critiqued by each other. So they not only learn art skills but they understand how to give constructive criticism as well.
“We have critiques for most of the projects and they are so overwhelmingly positive. They give you a lot of confidence,'' Sanjana
Mallaya said. “I really enjoy it when other people tell me and are honest in what they think of my work and what I can improve on. It is important to determine what to keep in your art and not keep.''
Mallaya, who everyone knows as Juno and will attend University of Pittsburgh in the fall, has been drawing since she was in the third grade.
“A lot of it has to do with my identity and the things and people that shaped it,'' Mallaya said of her art. “Visually there are a lot of figures and people. There is also a lot of symbolism with self reflection and a lot of portrayals of friends and family who are very important to who I am.'' She also didn't steer away from Indian culture, which is part of her identity but not something she dwells on.
“It is part of my identity so it is something I talk about in my work,'' Mallaya said. “It is something that is part of my life. Living with American culture and Indian culture side by side gives me a unique experience in life.''
Another senior Olivia Eden was able to show a different side of her. For the last three years, she had been singing songs at the art exhibit as well as numerous concerts both local and on a national stage. As an IB senior she was able to show off her painting skills along with her better known musical abilities.
“Most of my pieces are oils,'' Eden said. “I really enjoy that. The class gave me an opportunity. Ceramics was a lot of fun and mixed media, too. I was patient with oils. It takes weeks to dry.''
She also liked that all of her classmates were basically friends and they have enjoyed each other's company throughout their senior year. “They are very supportive,'' Eden said. “Not competitive at all. I love the people.''