Meadows originally set up the class about 15 years ago in order to provide a more professional setting for students to develop their art skills.

Students huddle around a paint-splattered table as local artist Olivia Wise instructs them on the complexities of mixing skin tone colors.

“I wanted to have a college-like setting or seminar where artists came to share their process, work habits, and techniques with my students from all over the Bay Area,” Meadows said.

Wise, a guest artist and illustrator who came in for three weeks in February, shared her own knowledge of contemporary art with the students. She is involved in the commercial art industry, and has experience illustrating magazines and books.

The class is intended to be more process-oriented than project-oriented, which means more emphasis is placed on the creation of the piece than the actual end result.

Every Wednesday night, an artist from around the Bay Area comes to the Artist’s Voice class to give students a glimpse at real-world examples of concepts and techniques they are learning in art class.

According to junior Yewon Ahn, the subjects of the projects are flexible, which allows students to focus on what they are really interested in without being tied down to what a teacher expects from them.

“[The class] provides exposure to what is happening in the real world of contemporary art,” said teacher Karen Meadows.

“I like how everything is super open, whatever we do. Even if guest artists come, we are allowed to do what we want and spin it in our own way,” Ahn said.

Wise explained that she hopes to to inspire students through her teaching and her professional work.

One of Darden’s fondest memories from the class is when a model posed in the center of the room, and the students did gestural drawings, a type of drawing usually defined by rapid movement.

“My objective is to visually communicate ideas and stories,” Wise said. “I like the opportunity to be able to hopefully influence some creative thinking.”

Ahn said that her favorite project is one from last year, when a guest artist came in and taught the students how to dye fabrics with a Japanese technique called shibori, which Ahn described as similar to tie-dye.

Wise says she enjoys creating art because the stories and concepts that she works with are different every time, which allows her to “keep it fresh.

If there is no guest artist, the class starts with a 20 minute silent draw, and then students are free to work on drawings in their sketchbooks or finish other projects.

The artists come from a variety of backgrounds, according to junior Hall Darden, and each specialize in different areas. This allows students to explore multiple styles of art. Meadows even recalls a time when a guest artist brought in buckets of tar and students painted with sticks on huge sheets of white paper.

new teacher every two weeks or so, so you get input from more people, which is always helpful, ” Hubbard said.

Because the class runs for three hours every Wednesday night, it is good for students who want to spend more than a 50 minute period on art, according to Ahn.

“It’s not just a teacher teaching you,” Darden said. “[The artists bring in] techniques that people use in the community. [The artists] have a career and a life in art. It’s really fun trying new ideas and branching out.”

Meadows said she finds the guest artists through connections she has in the community, either through friends, friends of friends, artists whom she finds in galleries and contacts or sometimes she even has Redwood alumni come in.

“[I would recommend the class to] somebody who doesn’t have time to do art during the day,” Darden said. “It’s also a good class for people who want to go more into art.”

The artists who come in each semester also allow the students to get new input and perspective on their work, according to sophomore Sara Hubbard.

“I’ve had many alumni from my AP program in over the years who are now in their twenties…that’s one of the best parts of it, really, bringing them back in as teachers and paying them,” Meadows said.

“In a normal art class, you only have one teacher over and over again, but with the Artist’s Voice class, you get a

Typically, the class hosts four guest artists per semester, who each work with the students for three weeks.

Also, since the class is after school, it allows students who would not normally have room in their schedules to take an art class to do so.