BC’s Outdoor Mural Project winners were announced! If you haven’t been following along with the series, you can click here to view the previous spotlights.
Amelia Ossorio — “Knowledge is Power”
Bio: My name is Amelia Ossorio, and I am a high school senior at Hillside Student Community School. [I am] taking classes at Bellevue College in the Running Start program. I love drawing and language-learning and hope to continue my studies of the Persian language at UW next year in the Near East Languages & Civilization department. My art is a never-ending exploration of the areas closest to my heart: language, humanity and connection, all with a dash of sun-soaked colors and unapologetically bold linework.
This year, my original design that highlighted the 87 languages spoken within my local Renton school district was selected by the city to be permanently installed in the heart of Renton on Second and Wells Street. How I have gained my artistic voice has been through sharing my work on the internet over the past five years. It’s a way of exposure, connection, and most of all, opportunity. In the past month my page has earned nearly a million views! Many young and creative people who follow my art online find solace in what I draw, and often feel seen by my art. After I graduate, I hope to have an artistic career in the Seattle area.
Ossorio’s Artist Statement: My design is inspired by a quote from Ghanaian diplomat Kofi Annan (1938-2018) who famously said that “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” This quote speaks to the invaluable presence of students from all families and backgrounds on campus at Bellevue College, as well as the institution’s dedication to providing accessible education to better our world and deepen our understanding of one another. Annan emphasizes [the] importance of our schools in society, in that students will guide us toward a better future.
I hope my work of art will encourage fellow students to not only be empowered by their education, but also value the diversity of Bellevue College and their peers on campus.
