Artistic Endeavors

Senior Eunsoo Hyun discusses the Bellevue Art Museum and her online sticker store

By Jade Buchanan-Moh, Business Manager

 

Eunsoo Hyun
A few of the pieces in the Bellevue Art Museum’s “20 Under 20” exhibit, a show that featured the work of 20 local artists all under 20 years old.

From volunteering with the Bellevue Art Museum’s Teen Arts Council to having her own online sticker store, senior Eunsoo Hyun has shared her passion for art throughout the community.

Hyun began making stickers for her cross country team last fall, wanting to create something that represented everyone together.

“It’s my last year on the team, and I thought ‘Hey, we’re a really great bunch,’ and I really wanted us to have something that identifies us as a team and is really unique,” she said. “I had a lot of fun coming up with something that characterized [us].”

Beyond the cross country team, Hyun made stickers for other groups at University Prep, such as the College Counseling Office and GSA. With each new sticker she designs, Hyun works hard to ensure that it accurately represents who it’s made for.

“It’s like a logo design — you have to come up with something that gives you an idea of the group in one glance,” she said. “It’s such a personal touch — you can put it on your water bottle or on your laptop.”

Despite her success, Hyun never received any rigorous training in order to carry out her designs.

“It’s a lot of looking up YouTube videos and then a lot of trial and error of what I think looks good and what colors look good together,” she said.

In addition to creating her own art, Hyun works to curate the work of others. Since middle school, she volunteered with the Bellevue Art Museum.

“About a year after I started [working with BAM], I joined the Teen Arts Council, which is a council of about 20 to 30 teens, and we work on projects within the museum,” she said.

BAM’s Teen Arts Council is responsible for many events throughout the year. One of their most recent and most notable was the “20 Under 20” exhibit, a show that featured the work of 20 local artists who are all under 20 years old.

Hyun was part of the team that organized the exhibit, and she enjoyed the ability to be involved in the process from start to finish.

“It was a team of five teenagers, and we worked really tightly together,” Hyun said. “We debated and argued with each other, which I think was a good thing because having those different opinions is really valuable.”

Aside from the experience she gained by putting together an exhibition, Hyun noted that one of the best aspects of the “20 Under 20” exhibit was the people she met.

“I think it’s a really great way to meet local artists who are our age but also learn how much work goes on at a museum behind the scenes,” she said.

For anyone passionate about the arts, Hyun recommends getting involved with BAM’s Teen Arts Council.

“It’s not a big time commitment, but it’s very rewarding,” she said.