Kohlbrand’s art featured

Whether becoming collegiate athletes, attending college on full-ride academic scholarships or sending technology into space, the class of 2022 has done it all. Little do most people know, however, the Newcastle High School class of 2022 has another talent — art. Several graduates who have taken art classes through NHS have also participated in the Expressive Arts League and even competed at the state art competition. One of them is Aryana Kohlbrand, whose work was chosen to be displayed in the governor’s mansion.  
Kohlbrand attended the 54th Annual Wyoming High School State Art Symposium this year with little ambition regarding awards. She does art, she says, because she simply loves it and cares little for the accolades that come with her talent. 
Kohlbrand had been working on several pieces of art and took five of them to the symposium in Casper in April. The piece that was selected for the honor was one that she hadn’t originally planned to enter, she said.
“I was very shocked about the Governor’s Wife’s Choice in my piece because I wasn’t even going to submit it before Mrs. Marshall convinced me to,” Kohlbrand said. 
Brandi (Roetzel( Marshall was Kohlbrand’s art teacher at NHS. The school’s art department went through significant changes this year after teacher Jimmie Josephson bid farewell to the school at the end of the first semester. Marshall replaced Josephson, who encouraged students to submit whatever pieces they felt would do well at the state competition.
Kohlbrand’s almost-left-behind piece was a watercolor of flowers found across Wyoming.
“Aryana likes painting flora and fauna, and overall just peaceful pieces,” Marshall said when asked about Kohlbrand  work as a student. “She has such a way with that medium and all of her pieces are intricate and meaningful.” 
During the selection process, Gov. Mark Gordon’s wife, Jennie, walked the aisles of the state art show and wanted to find pieces that depicted Wyoming. She sought to get one from each school district. That artwork now hangs in the governor’s mansion for a full year. Art, whether in physical or musical form, gives students an opportunity to express themselves, according to Marshall,  who said she has enjoyed getting to know all of her students this year and likes watching their progress in art as well as in life. 
“She’s very quiet and our relationship really grew through getting to know each other.  … She’s great at art, but also a beautiful person inside and out,” Marshall said.
Marshall spoke about Kohlbrand’s growth in becoming able to believe in herself and her talent.
“I was blown away. I wanted her to see that she is really good at this, and she can do this.  … It’s always been in her, but I wanted to get her to realize that.”
“Having my piece chosen for this really made me feel validated and that my hard work finally paid off,” Kohlbrand said.