By J.F. Renn
Many have been blessed with the gift of artistic talent, and some have been fortunate enough to be able to nurture these skills. At the Academy for the Fine Arts, an advanced half-day art program at Thomas Johnson High School, there is no shortage of talented students.
One such student, Jayden Fosburg, a junior, has been active in the creative world. Not only is Fosburg a first year member of the Academy, the Drawing/Painting focus, he is also experienced in theater, music, and videography.
Although Fosburg has natural talents, especially in illustration and digital art, his talents have been honed over the years through his participation in classes at the Delaplaine, Frederick Community College, as well as in the 2019 Summer Intensive Program at Virginia Commonwealth University.
“I have always been artistically inclined. Constant deadlines and large quantities of work keep me focused on art,” Fosburg said. “I’m always thinking and researching and learning, even on my own time.”
Fosburg was first accepted into the Academy for the Fine Arts as a provisional student, allowing him to transfer to TJHS from his home school. Sometimes these transfers are vital to the success and growth of students.
“[My home school] was an extremely hostile place for me, and being there would’ve resulted in great harm to me physically and mentally,” Fosburg, who is also a member of TJ’s track and field team, explained. “I searched FCPS for programs and found the AFA. I decided on wanting to do it almost immediately.”
The Academy for the Fine Arts encourages acceptance. Freedom of creation and self expression is at the core of its purpose. Students are encouraged to create, explore, and collaborate freely in a nonjudgmental environment.
“My favorite part of the AFA is the freedom. I am able to pick and choose my subject matter, and that means the world to me,” Fosburg said. “My peers in the AFA are extremely talented.”
Art has helped Fosburg learn and understand concepts as well as engage in a form of self expression and experimentation. In the AFA, each student’s unique way of thinking and working is embraced, and all are encouraged to be open about how they experience the world around them.
“As someone with ADHD, I have been a visual learner and struggled to grasp concepts that I could not draw out,” Fosburg said. “I am most comfortable using acrylic, and I am willing to do anything in the name of experimentation.”
With such an experimental atmosphere where students are allowed to hone their individual skills, many students begin to think about their futures and what they plan to do after graduating high school.
“I am looking into becoming an illustrator or animator. I plan to go to college for at least four years,” Fosburg explained, but art is not always the only pathway after graduating from the Academy. “I want to learn a lot of things outside of the arts, so I’m not sure if I’ll stop my education after achieving an arts degree.”
The Academy for the Fine Arts has helped Fosburg create his own path, but it is his own drive that has helped him achieve his goals thus far.
“I was and still am competitive, and when my peers would draw ‘better’ than me, I would unconsciously take inspiration from their styles. I want to keep pushing myself to be the ‘best’ there is.”
TJ Chronicle 