National Art Honor Society

Name: Rachel Novak

Grade: Senior

School: Chatham High

Postiion: President

Can you provide a bit of history about your organization?

National Art Honor Society is one of the various Honor societies at the high school. Chatham high school started a chapter in 2006 but the honor society has been around for over 40 years, granting national recognition and opportunities for students who display scholarship in the visual arts.

How long have you been with this organization?

I have been a member of the National Art Honor Society since I was a freshman in high school, I became vice president in junior year and now as a senior I am co-presidents with Ethan Versh and Emma Batljan.

What drew you to be part of this group?

What drew me to be a part of this group was the sense of community I found in the club as a brand new freshman. Everyone in the club including the older officers and teachers were so welcoming and encouraged anyone with any artistic background to join them in creating art. The club had exactly what I was looking for and that’s where I found my home for the next 4 years.

What types of tasks do you perform?

In the National Art honor society we hold many fundraisers involving art to raise money for local shops, and organizations in Chatham. Last year we tasked our members in creating decorative floral blocks that we sold during the annual art show to raise money to help local business Sunnywoods Florist which burnt down that year. This year we held a winter craft fair, showcasing homemade cards, ornaments, jewelry, and other crafts to donate money to the Chatham Emergency Squad.

We also host fun events for the community, but this year we held our second annual pumpkin walk where our artists designed faux pumpkins for Halloween and placed them in various locations around Chatham’s Main Street. Each pumpkin was paired with a letter and local residents were given a link to a map to complete a word search. The first people to complete the puzzle won a basket! The pumpkins also went for auction later in the week where people could purchase their favorite Halloween themed pumpkin!

How can someone get involved or join?

Anyone interested in the club can join by reaching out to any of the club officers, myself, Ethan Versh, and Emma Batljan or you can always stop by at one of our meetings!