High School Student Work on Show at Village Theatre

Kendall Swanson saw a picture in her sister's muddy toes last Super Bowl Sunday.

"I saw her feet like that and I told her 'stop, don't move,'" said Swanson, a 17-year-old soon-to-be senior at Monte Vista High School who took the photo as part of a class.

"I like seeing different angles and a world that you don't usually see," she said.

The photo of Swanson's 14-year-old sister's muddy toes was awarded a prize in the photography category for this year's student recognition project for high school students in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.

The program recognized some 260 students at all six high schools in the district in 26 categories, including photography, applied design, architecture, visual arts, creative writing, entrepreneurships and more. You can see the work of 25 of the winners on display now through July 3 at the Village Theatre.

Alex Lorenzo, a 17-year-old from California High School, doesn't have work on display at the Village Theatre but he also won an award— for his entrepreneurship. Lorenzo has been running his own DJ business since he was 13 and spun some tunes at the opening reception for the exhibit Friday

His father, who used to be a DJ, gave him the turntables and other equipment he needed for the business as a gift for his 13th birthday.

"Music has always been a passion for me," said Lorenzo. "I'm an interactive DJ so I go out on the dance floor and talk and dance with people. This is something fun, something I really like to do."

His business has grown by word-of-mouth and he's usually booked for a gig every three weeks, or more, during the winter months for holiday parties and spring for weddings.

Although Lorenzo loves his work as a DJ, after graduation next year he plans to attend college to train for a physical therapy career.

Jake Sigl hopes to turn his talent into a fashion photography career.

The recent Cal High grad, has been taking photos since he started working on the yearbook in seventh grade. He'll attend Parsons, an art school in New York City, in the fall to study photography. 

Sigl hopes to shoot a San Francisco-based designer's summer collection before heading off to school in August.

"I like that you can capture a feeling in one moment," said Sigl. "There is so much to tell in one second."

Aside from the several pieces of photography and other artworks on display, there is also a guitar, a horse sculpture, fashion designs and more.

See the full list of winners in each of the categories, here.

The Village Theatre is at 233 Front St., in Danville. The gallery is open from 2 to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The student's work is on display through July 3.