The National Art Honor Society (NAHS) kicked off this school year by attending the Greater Houston Big Texas Rally for Recovery as a club on Sep. 9, 2023. 

This rally is held every year in honor of National Recovery Month to celebrate those who are recovering from substance abuse and to bring awareness to this issue. Many guest speakers were invited as well to share their own stories related to recovery from addiction. 

“One of the speakers present was Jeff Bagwell, a former major league professional baseball player for the Houston Astros, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017,” NAHS secretary Zainab Basit said. 

The event allowed people from all walks of life to come together and support something that they believe in. This was a great opportunity for attendees and members of NAHS alike to get to listen to different perspectives and experiences from their own or even connect to them. NAHS had the opportunity to attend this event along with many other small businesses and organizations. Together, they formed the art market and entertainment section of the rally. NAHS, specifically, took part in face painting and providing temporary tattoos for free.

“The goal was to gain more experience on community volunteering and branch out as an organization,” Basit said. 

This event was not only impactful for the attendees of the rally, but for the club itself also. They were able to speak to many different small businesses within the art market and find opportunities for partnerships for future art projects. In addition, the members of NAHS found it to be a very rewarding experience as well. 

“I was painting various requests and images on attendees, and I think I really made people happy with the art,” NAHS member Ananya Sarma said.

NAHS members impacted the lives of many that day but also gained insight into how to volunteer their skills for the community and spread joy with art. They learned how to work with others, and they built their conversational and communication skills.

“We will be attending many more [events] such as the Commonwealth Elementary School Family Carnival where we will be face painting again. We will also have a pumpkin carving contest this fall,” Basit said. 

NAHS strives to promote a lifelong passion for volunteering among members and they try to be as involved in the community as possible. They believe in giving back to the community through art because it is a way to connect people of all ages and backgrounds. Art allows people to express themselves and be a part of a larger community, so why should it be limited to the members of NAHS? That is the exact question Zainab Basit, president of the art club, sought to resolve. 

“My goal is to establish a community for students at Clements who are not in an art class. I hope that this will be a fun and inviting space for people who have a shared passion for art,” Basit said. 

Art Club is a newly founded club this year and provides open doors for many. It is a club with no prerequisites or previous experience necessary, but rather for the sole purpose of a more inclusive art community. 

“I think it’s a great opportunity for people that can’t take art but want to draw art and have fun with the skills they have,” Sarma said. 

 Art is a creative medium for people to express themselves, spread joy, and connect with different people. The art community at Clements is doing just that. In the future, NAHS and Art Club will come together to volunteer for events and give back to the community through art.

“[I’m] definitely going to continue [NAHS] for the rest of high school,” member Vicky Wu said. “We get the coolest designed shirts in the school and so many more opportunities to learn about the art world.”