If you go

What: 2017 Boulder Valley School District: The Art of Students and Teachers Exhibition

When: Show runs through April 30, reception is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday

Where: Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder

Cost: $5 suggested donation when visiting galleries

Cosmetology students at Boulder Valley's Arapahoe Campus are getting an introduction to hairstyling as art as they create sculptural, lighted hair pieces for a runway show.

Their show will be part of Friday's reception for Boulder Valley's annual student and teacher art show.

"I wanted to raise the status and raise the bar for students," said teacher Richard Krammes. "It's another way to showcase their work. We're really excited."

He said the project also teaches the students about career possibilities other than working in a salon, including styling hair for publications, runway work. movies and competitive hairstyling.

For their pieces, students had to design synthetic hair, hair products and tiny lights. The theme was up to them, with students designing 10 elaborate pieces that include clouds, a peacock and antlers. Esthetician students are handling make-up and doing most of the modeling.

Junior Kyla Conard Prosseda designed a lotus flower resting in branches, with petals made from hair and brightly colored with hair spray paint.

"It was a lot of fun making it," she said. "It's artistic."

Classmate Maddie Burris also went with a floral theme, using curls to create a sculpture of dark red roses.

"We can do so many different things," she said.

Krammes, who has done similar work in his career as a professional stylist, said his students were first invited to participate in the show last year. Last year's pieces had an environmental theme.

Senior Julie Gentry made two hairpieces, a solar system and a crown made of fire, and modeled a piece in last year's show.

"I loved the project," she said. "It was really cool to get that creative with hair."

She's not participating in the show directly this year because she's preparing for her certification testing.

But, as a competitive dancer, she helped out by choreographing the upcoming show, teaching the models basic hand movements and arm placement. Along with choreographed movements, the plan is for the models to wear black plus dramatic eye make-up.

Senior Megan Bonham, who's in the esthetician program, will both apply make-up and model for the show. She'll be wearing a piece designed to look like lantern.

"I can learn what it's like from both the make-up artist side and the model side," she said. "I like putting it all together in a complete student run show. This will be fun."

Amy Bounds: 303-473-1341, boundsa@dailycamera.com or twitter.com/boundsa

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