It’s hard being an artist early in their career and only a few years out of college. It’s the worst, right? Maybe. What about the hormonal, judgmental halls of high school? Well, New Boon(e) is exploring the art of members and friends made back in those not-so-distant days of yore for their high school art classes… for better or worse.

“Have A Great Summer.”

Calling the show “HAGS Never Change!” helps catapult us back to the days of yearbook signing and cliques just to ensure we’re in the proper head space. For those not familiar, ‘HAGS’ actually stands for ‘Have A Great Summer’ and, although not changing is never really a possibility in this crazy world, looking back on our old art helps to show a different perspective and also how far we have come.

Perhaps rightly, the artworks are displayed anonymously and salon-style in the space. Although many of the artists may not have a problem owning up to these pieces of relatively ancient history, it is best to let visitors bask in the often nostalgic atmosphere. Some of these pieces share an aesthetic – perhaps because they were done for similar projects that straddled schools and curricula – but this vague recognition helps make even the least accessible artworks somewhat personal; after all, we’ve all been there.

To be sure, some of these pieces are actually quite good, and it’s easy to see why many of these students went on to pursue art-related studies in college. There is a realistic tube of Colgate toothpaste that is quite well rendered, yet lonely and drifting in an otherwise empty space where the table meets the darkness behind it. Elsewhere, an inked cutout of cooking utensils and a spilling box of pasta reside on top of a sheet of newspaper, the easily accessible alternative for any class-assigned collage.

Some pop culture references like a Lil Wayne album cover or slogans like “Try some pie instead of getting high” fill in spaces next to brace-faced (self?) portraits and fashion illustrations. Neon-colored skeletal studies and oil pastels meet sparse acrylic paintings and comic caricatures in a busy arrangement that rings of just about every end-of-the-year art show… but everyone’s got to start somewhere. A nearby table full of notebooks full of funky sketches and doodles rounds everything out, lest we forget how often math class turned into art class redux.

While calling all of the pieces great would be hasty, the theme is both solid and entertaining. By revisiting a time in our lives that did much to develop us into the people we are today, we can use the wisdom of hindsight constructively or for kicks.

New Boon(e) is located at 253 North 3rd St., Philadelphia; [email protected]; New Boon(e) on Facebook.