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Gallery Show at SCC for Junior High Student

Danielle Scheetz, 13, lives in Dallas City, IL.  She is in 8th Grade at Holy Trinity Junior High School across the Mississippi River in Fort Madison.

Like many teenagers, she enjoys hanging out with her friends and playing sports like volleyball.

Scheetz also has a special talent: art.  That talent led to her roughly 25-piece exhibit, "Experience Art," being on display at the SCC West Burlington Campus Art Gallery through January 15, 2013.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Scheetz about her first show.  “I’m very happy it’s there and that it is my very first one.”

Scheetz found out that she really liked art when she was just 7 years old.  During that time, she has used many different mediums and documented many different subjects.

Credit Jeff Ebbing - SCC
Charcoal is Scheetz's favorite medium

Through it all, though, she still has her favorites.

“I would be doing charcoal, preferably horses, but I would do anything with charcoal.,” said Scheetz.  "It is the most fun to mess with, and it is really messy and you can change your mind at any point with it.”

Scheetz’s former teachers say her talent has been apparent for years.

Dennis Tubbs is an artist from Nauvoo who worked with Scheetz while she attended St. Peter and St. Paul School in Nauvoo.

Tubbs said he introduced Scheetz to watercolors when she was in the sixth grade.

“At first it was difficult because water-colors is difficult because you can’t erase them,” said Tubbs, “but through Danielle’s determination and through me guiding her, she surpassed all expectations.”

Credit Jeff Ebbing - SCC
One of the watercolors from Scheetz's time working with Nauvoo Artist Dennis Tubbs.

Tubbs says several watercolors of pink flowers hanging in the exhibit were done when he was working with her in sixth grade.

Scheetz participated in a gallery talk to promote her exhibit.  She even took some questions from the audience.

Afterwards, she was pretty excited about getting the opportunity to talk about her artwork.

“It was pretty awesome being up there,” said Scheetz.  “It was a little nerve-wracking but it was pretty awesome.”

More than 40 people turned out for the gallery talk, including students and teachers from two local schools as well as members of Scheetz's family.

SCC Art Professor John Bybee joined Scheetz for her gallery talk.  He says it’s important for young students to use their artistic abilities.

“When I was a young artist, and the support I had from the community and them asking me to put on a show or supporting my interests,” said Bybee, “and for me, it is very exciting to be able to do that for Danielle.”

Scheetz with SCC Art Instructor John Bybee

Bybee says Scheetz’s strength as an artist is her ability to use multiple mediums.

Mary Jo Scheetz has been watching Danielle's talent develop for years from the view of "grandma."

Mary Jo Scheetz understands what she has been seeing, as she knows a little something about art herself. 

She is a member of SCC's Art Collectors Club, which is trying to improve the college's permanent art collection.

Mary Jo Scheetz says a committee selected Danielle to be the first young artist whose works are displayed as part of what the college hopes will become an annual event.

Credit Jeff Ebbing - SCC
Scheetz says horses are her favorite subjects

As part of the event, SCC would promote tours of the college and the career opportunities available in the world of art.

Danielle Scheetz says she plans to take art classes throughout high school and college, but she does not believe art will be her career.

“I think this will be more of a side career, but I want it to be a bigger side career,” said Scheetz.  “I would want to be a vet (as a full-time career) because I am around animals a lot.

Scheetz’s love of animals is apparent when you explore her exhibit as there are several drawings and paintings of horses, as well as a couple of self-portraits and three mixed media dresses.

Self Portrait

Scheetz says school and volleyball keep her busy, but she still tries to find at least two days a week to work on her art, perhaps in preparation for that next gallery show.