Print Week at Bergen County Academies (BCA) is a highly anticipated event curated by the students and teachers of the Visual Arts Academy. It showcases the incredible work produced throughout the year, transforming the BCA stage into a gallery-like space where creativity takes center stage. More than just an exhibition, Print Week highlights each student’s artistic journey, allowing the students, staff, and faculty at BCA to witness their growth and evolution.
This year’s Print Week theme transported students into the whimsical worlds of Studio Ghibli, which is an acclaimed Japanese animation film studio. Studio Ghibli is recognized for their animation studio’s breathtaking landscapes, rich storytelling, and unforgettable characters. Many of the pieces produced by the Visual Arts students were inspired by the immersive realism of Ghibli films, some even including characters from movies like “Ponyo,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” and “Spirited Away.”
Print Week is a collaborative effort that involves every grade in the Visual Arts Academy, with each class contributing unique projects leading up to the event. For instance, this year, the freshmen explored portraiture and perspective, creating portraits using geometric shapes and designing their own perspective rooms in Photoshop. For many freshmen, this was their first time diving deep into digital art, challenging them to think critically about composition, depth, and form. Through these projects, they not only developed essential artistic skills but also a newfound appreciation for how digital tools can bring their creativity to life.
“The portrait I made was really special to me,” said Yuju Oh, a freshman in AVPA-V. “I used a lot of new digital tools this year, like Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, which was really interesting because it was so different from traditional art. In some ways, it was easier—I could make my line art much cleaner and erase everything to start over—but learning layouts and keyboard shortcuts made it challenging too.”
As for sophomores, they filmed their C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) documentaries, which discuss thought-provoking topics. Each year there is a different prompt for the documentaries, and sophomores create their videos accordingly. This year’s prompt was “If you could say one thing to the president, what would it be?” Each C-SPAN video produced by the sophomores are submitted to this network and are considered for cash prizes totalling $100,000. Sophomores also showcased past works from their freshman year, including painted pizza boxes, spring-themed paintings, and bug observation drawings.
“My partner and my documentary was about the housing crisis in America,” said Sophia Lee, a sophomore in AVPA-V. “We worked on Premiere Pro and we sent emails to professionals, or anyone we wanted to interview for our documentaries. After that, most of the video-making process involved researching, making infographics, and editing. We handed our documentary in earlier this month, and it was rewarding to see the end result.”
Juniors engaged in digital media, having fun making movie posters that line the art and computer science wing. These posters feature many of the beloved teachers at BCA in humorous roles, such as Mr. Madden and Ms. Pagano as Hansel and Gretel. Their creativity and skill have brought much laughter and admiration from students and faculty alike. Each poster is a display of their phenomenal digital editing techniques, capturing the teachers of BCA in unexpected cinematic roles.
The seniors experimented with various artistic forms as well, pushing the boundaries of their creativity. Many students loved their surrealist paintings and charcoal fairytale illustrations, which showcased both technical skill and what their imagination can bring to the table. They also worked on intricate metal animal sculptures, demonstrating their expertise in craftsmanship and artistic expression to their projects. To top it all off, they produced movie trailers, adding a cinematic twist to their creative repertoire. From bold paintings to playful animations, their work reflected both their talent and their willingness to explore new artistic mediums.
While the general structure of Print Week remains consistent, each year brings new themes and fresh opportunities for creative exploration. Though some works on display were created in previous years, the exhibition provides a rare chance to see how students’ skills have developed over time.
Beyond the art itself, Print Week offers students a welcome break from their usual routines, allowing them to immerse themselves in the artistic expressions of their peers. For the visual students, it’s a moment of well-earned pride, or a chance to showcase their dedication, growth, and passion for what they do. Their hard work and creativity deserve to be recognized, and Print Week allows them to share it with the entire BCA community.
“My favorite part of Print Week was when my parents and family visited after school,” said Owen Tzeng, a sophomore in AVPA-V. “My grandmother visited last year and she visited this year too, and I enjoyed showing her the things I’ve been working on throughout the year and what other people in my academy have done. I also like seeing the works of other people too. There are a lot of talented people in the art academy and they all have a unique way of making art, so that’s always fun to see.”
Print Week is only a glimpse of what the Academy of Visual Arts is capable of. From illustrations and graphic design to film and animation, the academy has so much to offer, and students interested in exploring their creativity should check out the art courses available at BCA. Whether experienced in art or curious about trying something new, there is a place for everyone. Print Week highlights just a few of many incredible things the Visual Academy creates–and every year, it’s a reminder of how much talent and creativity exists at BCA.
