The artwork of a Thomas Stone High School senior was selected to be displayed in the upcoming art exhibit, “Let Them Cook, Teen Art Exhibition,” at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center in Solomons Island.

Jael Potter, a student in Amy Rye’s ceramics II class at Stone, created “DYSMORPHIA,” a sculpture that spoke to her feelings of being a teenage girl.

“To be a teenage girl means to constantly be plagued by the thoughts, eyes and standards of others. To be a teenage girl means to be consumed with the idea of perfection when it ceases to exist,” Potter wrote in her artist’s statement. “To be a teenage girl means that it's never acceptable to be you.”

The piece was borne out of an assignment in Rye’s class. Rye asked students to sculpt a series that had an emotional connection their everyday life and their cultural background. The inspiration for the assignment came from the work of Austen Brantley, a self-taught Detroit-based sculptor. Brantley’s work reflects his heritage and interest in prompting others to explore the complexities of cultural identity, celebrate historical narratives and the spirit of communities that face socio-economic challenges, according to the artist’s biography.

Potter, an honor student in Stone’s Project Lead the Way: Biomedical Sciences program, understands firsthand the challenges a teenage girl can face. The pressure to look a certain way, act a certain way. Those pressures inspired “DYSMORPHIA,” a sculpture that features three smaller pieces arranged vertically on an upright PVC pipe.

The smaller sculptures can appear to be a sort of 3-D cameo brooch — one featuring multiple eyes, another with a pierced tongue, the third an ear that looks to be almost wrapped by a piece of jewelry.  Rye knew the piece was special and a contender for the “Let Them Cook” show. “I selected this piece because of the prestige and pure ingenuity it took Jael to design this structure,” she said. “‘DYSMORPHIA,’ is creative, well-built and has a very deep meaning.”

The meaning of the piece is likely to reverberate with others.

“A thing that has resonated with me the most as a teenage girl is being misunderstood,” Potter said. “People forget that a lot of teenagers, especially girls, have body dysmorphia.”

The National Library of Medicine, a library affiliated with National Institute of Health, that collects scientific literature, published information in 2020 finding that a majority of adolescents — male and female — participating in studies report they are dissatisfied with their appearance and can become preoccupied by it. The use of social media and curated content can contribute to a person’s perception of themselves, the report found.

In Potter’s experience, she is not alone in comparing herself to others. “It was the inspiration for my project,” she said. “I wanted something that represented how a lot of teenage girls feel, constantly being influenced by the thought of ‘What are other people thinking, what are other people seeing?’”

Potter believes art helps her and her peers express themselves when words fail. “Kids have a lot of pent-up emotions that they are not necessarily sharing and are hard to articulation,” Potter said. “But I think when you pay attention to what other people are creating it says a lot about how they are feeling. I think a lot of kids use art as an emotional outlet.”

Rye agreed. “Observation, literacy, problem solving, innovation, self-expression and critical thinking are valuable life skills students take away from the arts,” she said. “The arts make school fun, the arts make students come to school excited and ready to learn, the arts are imperative to the building blocks of a human being.”

If you go
“Let Them Cook, Teen Art Exhibition” is a showcase of teen creativity, celebrating the body and fresh perspective of artists ages 13 to 19. The exhibit is open March 7-30, in the main gallery of Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center, 13470 Dowell Road, Solomons.

A reception will be March 7, with the virtual exhibit published March 14 at annmariegarden.org.

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 28,162 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 38 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Mike Blanchard, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (employees/ adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.  CCPS provides nondiscriminatory equal access to school facilities in accordance with its Use of Facilities rules to designated youth groups (including, but not limited to, the Boy Scouts).