South Puget Sound Community College's exhibition of student art from area high schools surprised me. It was not a happy surprise. Maybe it's been too long since I taught high school art and maybe I no longer know what to expect from students, but I really expected the overall quality to be better. Not that there aren't a few very nice works.

The style and subject of the art also surprised me. It has been my experience that the most popular art forms among young artists are surrealism and art inspired by graphic novels and graffiti, but there is practically none of that in this show. Nearly all of the pictures in this show are of faces or figures. There are no abstract paintings, unless you consider a painting of a logo or crest or symbol (it's hard to tell which) an abstract painting. There are also very few landscapes and hardly any still life paintings or drawings.

Read my full review of the show here.

[South Puget Sound Community College, through March 23, Monday-Friday noon to 5 p.m., closing reception March 23, 6- 8 p.m., 2011 Mottman Rd. SW, Olympia]