Passion for paint: Alcazar crowned MUSD's top artist
Manteca High senior Mariah Alcazar (right) poses with art teacher Jiana Boudreaux. Alcazar won the Manteca Unified School District art show earlier this year.
By MELISSA VALLE
The Tower
Art isn’t just painting on a canvas or molding pieces of clay. It’s a lifestyle, an outlet, even a form of expression.
For Manteca High senior Mariah Alcazar, it’s all of that and more. She’s one of the best artists in the Manteca Unified School District, winning the 2021-22 art show with a piece she wasn’t even sure about.
She uses art to both express herself and tell a story.
Anyone who speaks with Alcazar could say the second she talks about art her eyes gleam. Manteca High art instructor Jiana Boudreaux believes Alzacar is a young artist going somewhere special with her passion and skills.
“Her work has so much depth and thought and self-reflection. Her heart is in everything she does, and she genuinely cares about the world and the effects that society has on people. Her art speaks to that; I truly believe her art is revolutionary to where she can change the world. One person at a time,” Boudreaux said.
The Tower sat down with Alcazar and spoke with her about her journey to becoming an artist:
The Tower: How long have you been doing art?
Mariah Alcazar: Since I was younger, since elementary school basically.
TT: When did you decide you wanted to start taking art seriously?
MA: Probably my freshman year when I took Ms. B’s Intro to Art class. It was honestly the teacher, she was just so out there, I was like, “Oh okay, this is something I could do.”
“I truly believe her art is revolutionary to where she can change the world one person at a time.”
TT: Who inspired you to start doing art?
MA: When I was younger just watching cartoons and whatever, but as soon as I got into high school, that’s when I started to get actually involved in art; and Ms. B and honestly. The way she talked about it (art); it was so intriguing.
TT: What’s your favorite part about creating art?
MA: My favorite part about it is the process. When you start it, you think, “Oh, it’s probably gonna be bad,” but when you finish it you’re like, “Oh this is okay.”
TT: What kind of art do you practice?
MA: My main media is probably acrylics.
TT: What’s your least favorite art to do?
MA: My least favorite is watercolor. Watercolor is so hard. I can’t control it, like the colors all blend together.
TT: Do you have any plans after high school to continue art?
MA: I plan on becoming a tattoo artist, and a muralist kinda, maybe an art teacher. I’m more confident as a tattoo artist and muralist, because (as an) art teacher you have to talk in front of people and that’s not my thing.
TT: How did it feel to win Best of the District?
MA: I was shocked not gonna lie. It was one my pieces that I didn’t really try on, so I was just like, “Oh, wow.”
