Entering the thick brick walls of South, chances are you will see art. To many, South is known for its vibrant inclusion (and at times removal) of student-made art. Murals line the hallways with an array of themes, from self-image to the murder of George Floyd. Art at South represents the diverse, artistic, and working-class values of South Minneapolis. Undoubtedly, South High has a deep connection with art; a beautiful reflection of the small but caring group of art teachers. Throughout the hours and years, they have seen thousands of students with varying skills in art and pushed them to create – to unlock their artistic potential and express themselves freely. An incredible example of South’s undying artistry is Macy Gearhart, a current senior and master ceramicist.
Born the daughter of two scientists, Macy Skye Gearhart has always been a creative person. When she was 7, Gearhart took summer clay camps, which sparked a fiery love for clay inside her which hasn’t gone out. She cares deeply about the ecological health of the world, which shows in her co-leadership of South’s Green Tigers with senior Zora Bael-Cyr. Another activity she dedicates her time to is the Teen Council with Planned Parenthood. Gearhart loves to create vibrancy in her work and converts her extracurricular passions into her artwork.
These passions of Gearhart’s fuel her work and provide her with the drive to create. Enrolled in Cynthia Berger’s AP Art class, Gearhart has embarked on a new artistic journey this year, although it’s always been a part of her. In AP Art, students are pushed to create a “body of related works that demonstrate an inquiry-based sustained investigation of materials, processes, and ideas through practice, experimentation, and revision.” (College Board).
For her sustained investigation, Gearhart chose a theme that has shown up in many of her works before expressing her sustained investigation. She is exploring “the idea of bodies, reproductive anatomy, and beauty standards”, and expressing “what that means for women and people who struggle with body image” in her work. These ideas correlate to her experience in the Planned Parenthood Teen Council, which is part of her drive to create a series of works that reflect her life experiences. She stated that it’s her “hope that other people feel inspired by my work.” Gearhart has begun to explore her sustained investigation in one of her latest pieces, a hand-thrown vase inspired by reproductive anatomy. Gearhart provided that, “For this piece, she wanted to highlight the anatomy of a typical AFAB (assigned female at birth) body, specifically the reproductive system.” She added that in the piece she “experimented with negative space, carved elements, and added sculptural details.” In her next pieces, Gearhart is inspired to use embroidery in her work, although she is still figuring out how.
This year isn’t Gearhart’s first foray into her sustained investigation, and certainly not her first working with clay. In Gearhart’s freshman year, she began a serious ceramic journey and has never looked back. The first piece Gearhart remembers taking pride in at South was a bumblebee mug she made on the pottery wheel, a special connection to Gearhart’s love of nature. In her sophomore year, Gearhart made a large bust sculpture of the female body, which was her first exploration into what would become her sustained investigation. But upon firing the sculpture, it broke in the kiln – a tragic moment for Gearhart. However, this grief became foundational for Gearhart, and it only inspired her to create more and uncover the complexities of clay.
In her Junior year during a moment of burnout from the pottery wheel, Gearhart sculpted another much smaller bust which to her excitement came out of the kiln unscathed. Much of Gearhart’s best works come out of artist’s block in one way or another. If she gets bored on the wheel, she’ll switch to a sculpture, and when the sculpture is finished, she’ll go back to the wheel. This process of listening to herself as an artist is what continues to provide Gearhart’s mind with new ideas and pieces. Reflecting on her relationship with clay, Gearhart said “We’re friends, but it wants to be the best thing the more effort I put into a piece, the more I get out of it in the end.” Explaining this more, she joked that, “If I’m throwing a mug in a minute, I’m not gonna feel any attachment, except for the attachment of the handle to the mug.”
Now a senior, Gearhart is making big decisions surrounding her post-secondary career. She is mostly considering staying in Minnesota but has also applied to colleges in Wisconsin, Oregon, Washington, Indiana, and Ohio. For her college essay, Gearhart wrote about the trials and tribulations of her bust sculpture’s fate in sophomore year. Regarding the experience and how it ties to her essay, Gearhart said it reflects on “How I dealt with that and made something more out of it.” The experience taught Gearhart about “brokenness and finding that imperfection.” Gearhart hopes to work with ceramics forever and wants to go to a school that will allow her to stay connected to clay. But no matter where Gearhart goes, the artist in her will never be taken away. The mugs she’s thrown in a minute, every firing that could go awry, the underglazes splotched onto her clothes; they’ve all interwoven the spirit of clay into Gearhart, embedded forever in the artist’s DNA of an astonishing teen.
