The 2010 recipient of the FAS Donna Sherman Art Scholarship, Peter Young, is a talented young artist with an interest in computer graphics and animation as well as traditional drawing and painting. Currently, his favorite medium is animation. Capturing life in such an art form can be tricky, but once mastered animation has enormous potential for conveying useful stories and ideas. Peter explains, "I've always been enamored with animation. Animation and cinematic movies in general represent the combination of a wide variety of art forms including visual arts, drama, music, creative storytelling, photography. It is the epitome of skill and creativity to mix and match these different parts to create an end product that tells a story or conveys a message.The rush of sharp motion and intricacy of replicating emotion can be quite difficult for beginners. I still consider myself to be a novice in this area, but I'm always learning."

Peter views digital arts as the way of the future, but feels that a solid foundation in traditional skills like drawing and painting combined with creative thinking are important to the success of the artist. He explains, "In the years to come, as technology advances, so too will its integration with all aspects of life and society including art. I'm attracted to new things and see the vast potential today's powerhouse programs like Adobe's Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, or After Effects have for streamlining artistic processes. So much can be done with these programs... it's the place I want to be. With the advent of digital arts, most areas of art have become easier and more accessible than ever before."

While a student at Bromfield, Peter's classes included art foundations, studio art, graphic design, flash animation and web design, advanced DHTML, and advanced digital media. He has challenged himself both in the classroom and independently to develop what he calls 'the right attitude towards art' which he says involves both heart and mind. "You can't maintain a deep passion for art if it becomes another chore. There must be a burning desire to take something to the next level, to not conform or chase after an ethereal standard. It’s also the ability to look past imperfections and be critically rational about yourself and what you do. Thought must also be put into innovating and improving specific pieces or skills."

Peter received an honorable mention award in the 26th Mount Wachusetts Community College Exhibition. His work was also on display during Youth Art Month at the Worcester Art Museum and at Gallery Seven in Maynard. While a student at Bromfield, he started an after-school high school art group, the Bromfield Art Club. He was also a member of Bromfield's National Art Honor Society.

Peter will be attending Rhode Island School of Design in the fall of 2010. There he plans to branch out and try other forms of art. He explains,"Graphic design has always interested me. As a field, it focuses more on raw shapes and composition of different elements to simplistically convey a message. In my free time I've had the chance to work on designing T-shirts and various vector graphics. I'd also like to dabble a little in film to learn more about how they're put together to expand my storytelling capabilities. My concentration will most likely be in either illustration or graphic design."

"Going to art school excites me because so many artists are gathered in one place. It will provide a unique environment for me to continue to challenge myself and grow as an artist. Art is probably one of the strongest sources of motivation and inspiration I have in my life.

Art is not usually encouraged by most families. It's traditionally perceived as more risky in terms of making a mark for yourself and becoming successful. My dad always told me, 'No matter what you do, do it well. Become a useful person.' And that's what I intend to do.

I also look forward to opportunities that will allow me to share my spiritual faith with others through my art and stories. I believe art should benefit others. Whether in small or big ways, art should influence its surroundings. Ultimately I'd like to be involved in humanitarian efforts somehow through my art. Though right now I have no idea how I'll accomplish that, it's something that I've set my mind on and intend to follow through with eventually.

In the near future, after school I envision a career in character design, comic illustrations, or graphic design in a big city somewhere working towards becoming an art director."

For more information about his work, contact pjs.young@gmail.com.