November 2010 Student Artist of the Month

November's Student Artist of the Month is Vanessa Hotlosz from Wheeling, WV. Vanessa is a senior at Wheeling Park High School in Ohio County.

Vanessa Hotlosz, a senior at Wheeling Park High School, Ohio County, is the first student to be recognized in a new statewide Student Artist of the Month program sponsored by the Appalachian Education Initiative and Chesapeake Energy. Hotlosz is the daughter of Cindy and Frank Hotlosz of Wheeling.

Painting by Vanessa

Hotlosz participates in dance, theater, music and visual arts at school and in her community. She performs in Wheeling Park theater productions and is a member of the school’s Speech and Debate Team. She works in the school’s media center as well. Her other interests include photography and computer art.

Hotlosz was nominated by Cheryl Pompeo, her dance instructor at the Oglebay Institute. Hotlosz, who has taken classes from Pompeo since she was two years old, is an outstanding dancer who enthusiastically shares what she has learned with younger students as well.

“Vanessa gives her best to every activity she is involved with,” Pompeo said. “She has been selected to attend several prestigious summer intensive dance programs in the past few years and when she returns, she passes along what she has learned to the younger students by teaching them.”

According to Vanessa, “One of the reasons I love the arts is because it can be universally understood without language barriers or mistranslations. I believe that art is laced throughout everyone's D.N.A, which creates a platform for mutual understanding. Art to me is the external projection of what is going on the inside. It is my personal way to more effectively explain myself. Art is my first and foremost language.”

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