Senior Isaiah Joyner is always busy working on a piece of art, a school production or a cheer combination. Isaiah committed to SCAD, The Savannah College of Arts and Design.
“I got into art mainly as a way of expressing myself,” Isaiah says. “From elementary school until now, I found that [art] was a way for me to use art as a guide to express what I couldn’t say.”
According to Isaiah, after taking an AP art course, he really knew that this is what he wanted to pursue in his future.
“I can create [something] that looks really cool and that people like seeing,” Isaiah states. He agrees that making art for others and seeing their emotions makes him happy.
Prior to committing to SCAD, Joyner was set on going to the New School in New York; however, according to him, it was mostly geared towards fashion instead of fine arts. He believes that going to a school aimed more towards fine arts- as opposed to a regular college- will expose him not only to artistic abilities, but also connections.
“[SCAD] has a lot of connections with Disney and Universal,” Isaiah states. “Animation and fine art is something I really gravitate towards.”
Mr. JFK
This year, Isaiah got the chance to be one of the contestants for Mr. JFK. During the talent section, many of his competitors decided to dance or sing, however, Isaiah had a talent which blew the audience’s minds.
“I wanted to do the sand painting initially because it was something different,” Isaiah states. “With the sand art, I knew I could make it as big as I wanted to and with the glue, it would look crazy until I actually finished the piece. And I really wanted that ‘wow’ factor… I wanted to do something different because everyone either did singing or dancing.”
Isaiah’s sand painting for the talent portion was spontaneous. He spent two to three days practicing, until he had one canvas left.
“I had to just go for it at the end because I ran out of materials,” Isaiah explains. “That large [canvas] was my first time doing it on that big of a scale, because my other trials were a lot smaller.”
Art Style
Throughout the year, Isaiah’s artwork has been displayed for different school events. For Woodbridge Township’s Black History Month Showcase, his paintings and portraits were displayed throughout a hallway for people to see and admire.
From an observer’s perspective, his art style is unique and eye-catching. He uses different mediums and techniques to make his art pop. He uses multiple materials to layer and add depth to his artwork; he also values detail and enjoys adding a lot of it into his art.
“Overtime I became a very detail oriented person and I love jampacking as much meaning into things as possible,” Isaiah says. “I feel like through that layering, I can add so much more depth… and internal meaning.”
All photo illustrations belong to Isaiah Joyner.
Cheer
Throughout his four years in JFK, Isaiah has been in cheer for the last two. He has become a cherished member of the 2023-2024 Competition Team and Spirit Cheerleading team from 2023-2025. Over the course of time, he has been able to build meaningful relationships with others and create memories.
“My favorite cheerleading memory would be by far… the Color Wars, it’s where over the summer we get together for practices, and at the end we would be [divided] into color groups and we each do a competition,” Isaiah explains. “We would make a group cheer together and we play games everyday, and that is a really core bonding moment for the team.
“The second favorite memory is Senior Night. I remember seeing it last year and getting emotional… and then to be a part of it this year and to have that bonded circle with everybody was amazing… I got really emotional, especially after it.”
JFK Events and the Musical Dilemma
Every JFK event and show has people behind the scenes making the show possible. Isaiah is in charge of the sound behind the stage- a key factor to make a show successful. He has seen almost every show the school has put on.
“My favorite event outside the plays and musicals would be Dance Exchange,” Isaiah says. “I love dance, it’s my favorite.”
During the Dance Exchange season, Isaiah, along with many other students, stay in school until 5p.m practicing and making the show as great as possible.
Isaiah has been behind the scenes ever since “The Wizard of Oz” show. For that musical, his favorite part was “the vibe” of the people and the strong community bond.
Tips for JFK Students
Isaiah’s self-discovery was a long ride. Throughout his childhood he moved multiple times and had a tough time in middle school. He agrees that when he got to JFK, he flourished.
“Try everything,” Isaiah emphasizes. “Whatever you want to do, whether it’s art related or trying a new sport, go for it. The worst thing that can happen is you don’t like it. You’re never gonna know the possibilities of what you can do or what amazing experiences you can have if you don’t try it.”
JFK’s hidden gem is Isaiah. Through art and school clubs, he was able to grow to the influential person he is today.
