On June 9th and 10th, WHS juniors Marjorie Ladas and Shaelee Comettant will be attending the MAEA Art All-State, a two-day program where high school juniors from across the state create collaborative art installations with the help of working artists.

“I feel honored to have been selected to apply to Art All-State because we have so many talented artists in our school. I’m also very proud to be representing our school in this program because we’ve had a legacy of incredible artists who inspire me everyday to work hard and keep doing what I love,” Comettant said.

Annually, two juniors from selected high schools in Massachusetts are invited to apply and 144 of the applicants are accepted to the program.

After Ladas and Comettant were nominated, they were interviewed by a panel of three art teachers, as a part of the entry process. The teachers then selected 144 artists to attend the event at the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth.

“I think my interview went really well since the panelists were really chill and had nothing but compliments for the three pieces I submitted to be reviewed, which was part of the application process,” Ladas said. “[It was] pretty nerve-wracking since there’s, I think, about 1700 applicants that have to get narrowed down to 144, but I feel pretty good.”

Comettant and Ladas are both looking forward to the event itself and hope they will make the cut.

“What I look forward to most at this program is working as a team. As an athlete, working with a team had become something that I really enjoy doing. Watching your teammates grow and achieve is one of the most rewarding parts of being on a team,” Comettant said. “I’ve never worked as a team in my artwork and I’m excited to see what amazing work we’ll make if I end up going.”

“I’m really excited, since we’re working with some really experienced artists on installation art, which is something I’ve never tried but have always wanted to try out, so it’s going to be a really good learning experience if I get in,” Ladas said.

Ladas and Comettant will not be the first WHS students to attend the prestigious art event. Last year, senior Anna Marobella represented Wayland at the festival.

“It’s honestly one of my most treasured memories. I met people there who I’m going to college with now. It’s a really jarring experience at first, but it stretches you in the best way,” Marobella said.

Comettant is looking forward to this experience that Marobella has described.

“This program could help me achieve a skill set that could possibly make me an inspiration for someone someday,” Comettant said, “and that’s my goal as an artist.”