"Artist of the Month" is a new segment of the A&E portion of The Rebellion, where our staff will be commending talented artists, whether it be in music, dance, or art, who form a large population of Walpole High School, on their styles and works. This month we are recognizing junior Emma Alosi, a stand-out student among her classes, with a talented eye for both art and dance.

Alosi, who takes the class Contemporary Art and Alternative Approaches and participates in Dance Co., is a talented and well-rounded artist, as she has committed to rigorous and demanding art classes as well as taking interest in using new mediums.

“Recently I’ve been going outside my comfort zone and making more sculptural stuff. Also, I’m a closeted film nerd and would love to delve more into film as a medium,” Alosi said.

Alosi’s journey with art started early and developed into a serious focus in her life.

“I loved creating things my whole life, but I started to take a serious interest in art/drawing in fifth or sixth grade and have really seriously pursued art for about 3 years," said Alosi.

Her hard work paid off, as Alosi has been featured in plenty of district art shows as well as at Barnes and Noble, and she has received two silver subject plaques for the last two years in art. Although she has yet to expand her span of influence out of the school, she has certainly made the impact in the art programs at WHS.

Alosi not only captivates onlookers with her whimsical and unique projects, but her teachers as well.

“I know this may sound cliche but Emma's artistic sensibilities, interpretations, and execution is so far beyond her years, it's scary. She is extremely observant, detail-oriented, sensitive but loud, curious and thoughtful, and she delivers all of this at an extremely sophisticated and mature level," said Alosi’s Contemporary Art teacher and Dance Company director Richard Kim.

"Personally, I like art that is rebellious - that challenges me and makes me think, and I love when young people can do that like Emma can," said Kim. "But aside from all of that, she puts in the time and works very hard. When you see an artist or their work, you don't see all the stuff that happens in the background and the struggle it took to get to that point. Everybody always uses the mystique of ‘talent’ as an excuse and they think it's a compliment to the artist, but Emma has talent because of the amount of effort she puts into a work to bring it to a place where someone else wants to engage with it on a deeper level. Her work is relevant and important.”

Although Alosi does take interest in delving into new mediums and styles of art, she does gravitate toward certain mediums when it comes to more open-ended projects.

“I love watercolor and acrylics, (the more watery the better) and collage,” said Alosi.

Every new project brings new possibilities, so with Alosi's ranging inspirations and newly taught techniques comes new connections between her and her art.

“Every new piece I make becomes one of my new faves, right now I would say my latest piece with the interactive drawings hanging on the walls because I’ve learned a lot about art through making them,” Alosi said. Alosi never fails to keep her art interesting, as she is always trying to add new and interesting skills and techniques to her contemporary pieces, as well as unique themes and mediums in her strategies class.

“Emma is a prize package. Her art is thoughtful, ambitious, and shows exceptional skill. She is serious about challenge, often taking on really big ideas and serious issues yet she also brings wit and lightheartedness to her process. How awesome is that? I always look forward to finding out what her twist will be on our class assignments, and I have yet to be disappointed. Keep your eye on this artist and you will be able to say ‘I knew her when...’” Willa-Ann Mckee, Alosi’s Alternative Approaches teacher, said.

Yet, Alosi’s talents do not stop with her dedication to art. The talented student has been dancing for 14 years, and it shows. "Emma’s artistic personality definitely shines through in Dance Company. You can really tell how much she cares about the company and the arts in general. She has an incredible, well-deserved solo in the show this year and I'm happy for her! Emma is so talented and I love dancing with her," said junior Emily Smith, who dances with Alosi in Dance Company and performed in the “Tabula Rasa” show with this past April.

Dance Company has certainly had an impact on Alosi’s life—to her, serving as a connection between the different forms in which she expresses herself through art. “Dance Co. really pushes me creatively and personally to be the best version of myself and to work hard. All the people in Dance Co. are the nicest people imaginable as are incredibly supportive. Dance Co. has really made me reconsider art and the connection between art and performance. It makes me ask really deep questions about myself and the world around me,” said Alosi.