Young sisters are submerged in the arts

ZANESVILLE – A pair of young sisters are making waves in the Zanesville arts community.

Katelyn and Allison Baughman, of Crooksville, have piled up accolades over the past several years, including feature spots in museums and exhibits as well as top prizes in various contests.

At the beginning of June, the Renner Theater in downtown Zanesville showcased more than 20 pieces of original work from the Baughmans during the production of "On Golden Pond."

The Renner, home of the Zane Trace Players, decorates the space with new featured artists' work for each show. Katelyn, 13, and Allison, 12, set a new precedent for the program.

"They're the youngest featured artists I remember," said Bruce Revennaugh, treasurer for the Zane Trace Players Board of Directors.

Revennaugh said they try to choose a variety of artists of mixed media, and the Baughmans were a perfect fit.

The young pair produced paintings, drawings and even jewelry for the showcase.

Katelyn and Allison have practiced art in mixed media from a young age and plan to continue at least as a hobby, Katelyn said.

Perhaps what is most impressive about the young sisters, though, is how they integrate art into their everyday lives, recognizing the influence of self-expression even in sometimes mundane daily activities.

"Art is in everything we do," Allison said.

Katelyn has a nose for the stage in particular and began in the theater when she was 5. The Crooksville High School freshman has starred in more than a dozen shows for Zanesville Community Theatre and the Renner.

In addition to theater, Katelyn sings, dances, paints and draws. In what time she has left over, Katelyn is an avid consumer of literature and a cross-country runner.

"I don't think we'll ever stop making art," Katelyn said.

Allison, a student at Crooksville Middle School, has tentatively settled on engineering for her future and said many sense a certain rigidity in that profession. However, she sees plenty of opportunity to be creative within the field.

"I want to be an engineer because I like seeing things come together piece-by-piece," Allison said.

The product of those calculated pieces, she said, can turn into something extraordinary.

Allison presented drawings, paintings and a piece of original jewelry during the sisters' showcase at the Renner. In addition to that, Allison has appeared in a handful of Zanesville Community Theatre and Renner shows. She also is a cheerleader and has tumbled for seven years.

bparks2@gannett.com

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Twitter: @Bradley_W_Parks