Photo taken at the art competition exhibit opening and awards reception at Pico House Plaza.  In order from left to right: Norma Roque (Emcee and Reporter for Univision); Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (competition’s honorary chair); Raylene Morales, Bellflower resident and senior at Mayfair High School, Entry Title: Unspoken Words; Kara Medrano (Chair of the 2009 Organizing Committee and Legislative Analyst for Central Basin Municipal Water District); Rosalind Maldonado (mother of Raylene); and Dan Madison (Mayfair High School Art Instructor.)

Quote by Raylene Morales (3rd Place);12th Grade, Mayfair High School; Instructor: Robert Nelson; Unspoken Words; Photography.

“Growing up in a family of seven, with six brothers and no sisters, I had to find a way to keep myself entertained.  My mother would sit us all down and have us draw.  That is how I first got started.  But most recently, my oldest brother Steve has inspired my passion for art by introducing me to different styles:  graffiti, murals, and other urban art.

In the future, I wish to teach pre-school.  I love kids.  As a teacher, I will paint with them, read to them, and teach them to speak their minds.  That is the focus of my latest project.  I chose to depict the suppression of thought and voice.  Over the years I have learned that not all opinions and views are shared.  As a Mexican-Indian, it is very hard for me to express my views.  The girl in my art work is me as a young child.  I have bandages around my mouth to keep it shut and rings around my throat to confine my vocals.  The headdress is composed of all my thoughts that I cannot express.  The sadness in my eyes is more real than anything.

This project allowed me to understand how feelings and thoughts are held in by everyone, so that the people you know or see are not truly themselves.  They have a sort of veil that filters what they think from what they think is appropriate.”