Three gold keys, four silver keys and four honorable mentions; all awards senior Ali Hackett received in her last art show, the Scholastic Arts Exhibition. Hackett just recently began taking more art classes her first semester senior year, but since then she has been in five art classes in total.

“I have always loved drawing but found a passion for it during sophomore year. I fell in love with art by using it as my own therapy because I didn’t like expressing or talking to people about how I felt, so I drew it instead,” Hackett said. “It heals me in a way.”

She mostly focuses on surrealist art, her inspiration stemming from different emotions or stories that she wants to portray.

“One day I just realized that I wouldn’t be who I am now without art. After that point I knew the happiness I got from creating art would drive me to pursue it as a job,” Hackett said.

Art teacher Robin Bican has seen Hackett’s art develop throughout her years at DGN, watching Hackett become more devoted to her work.

“You can see the passion and fulfillment she gets when working on her art,” Bican said. “In the beginning, I could tell she had talent because she produced really good craftsmanship and skill. Now, her true passion for art is apparent in her attitude and work habits.”

Bican describes her work as expressive and colorful. 

“Ali is a risk-taker, she tries new materials and creates multiple paintings/drawings at a time. Some have strong contrast in pencil while others have vibrant colors and high contrast,” Bican said. “They start out very loose and expressive and then she develops them further creating variety and interest.”

Hackett plans to attend either Art Institute of Chicago or Maryland College of Art and Design in the fall majoring in illustration and communications design.

 “Her art speaks to me with multiple messages. Some give me a sense of happiness and some despair,” Bican said.

The Scholastic Arts Exhibition is not the only arts show Hackett has been in, she has been in multiple different shows and won more than ten awards. Hackett was recently asked by her teacher to hang her artwork in the Orland Park cultural center gallery for display.

“When I receive an award, I feel validated in a way. Like, my work spoke to someone enough or made them feel something so strongly that they consider my work to be worthy of a claim,” Hackett said.