10 years and still explorin'
I have an unquenchable thirst to learn more about the past.
The Acalanes Gifted & Talented Education Program
(AGATE)
Every semester, 35 juniors from the Acalanes Union High School District (4 high schools total) are selected to participate in a three-day intensive field trip, compiling research and notes to develop a project that combines two distinct disciplines.
I was chosen for the Spring Semester trip, which explored the culture, history, arts, food, environment, ecosystem, and geography of Monterey Bay. Our itinerary included various significant locations, and I learned more about the city than I could have ever imagined.
Point Lobos Nature Trail
Monterey Museum of Art
Colton Hall
What fascinated me more than anything was the expansive industrial history of Monterey. The ecosystem, biodiversity, and location of the city made it a constantly-evolving place for various industries to thrive.
For my interdisciplinary study in this program, I decided to pursue a blend of art and history by making a series of paintings in the style of Monterey native and California Impressionist Armin Hansen. These illutrations would depict a timeline of the area's industrial history.
Oholone Trade Industry
Meera Phadnis
Ranching Industry
Meera Phadnis
Tourist Industry
Meera Phadnis
Fishing & Canning Industry
Meera Phadnis
Agricultural Industry
Meera Phadnis
Final Presentation!
Presentation Board: Retracing Armin Hansen, Project Evolution, and Meera's Monterey Memoir!
My final project was complete with five paintings, a detailed study of Armin Hansen's work and how my pieces emulate it, a binder with countless notes full of research, a timeline, and interactive notecards that viewers could open and close to learn more about each industry. I passed the course with flying colors!