Guests at Lake Washington PTSA Council’s annual Founders’ Day Luncheon enjoyed a feast of inspirational art created by talented students who participated in this year’s PTA Reflections art program, at Matts’ Rotisserie in Redmond on Feb. 28, 2025.
Each year LWPTSA Council invites local student artists who have participated in the National PTA Reflections arts program to present their contest entries to luncheon attendees. This year, Reflections entrants were tasked with interpreting the theme, “Accepting Imperfection.” Our 2025 Founders’ Day showcase featured a live performance of an original music composition, and video screenings of an animated film and an originally choreographed dance. A gallery of visual arts and literature pieces was also on display
Grant Richter, grade 11, of Lake Washington High School, performed an electrifying music composition entitled “Cave of Antiquities.” Of his composition, Grant says: “I saw this year’s theme for Reflections and knew this was my one chance to really be myself. Perfectionism is something I had suffocate me for years; seeing a theme that directly addresses it made me want to give it everything I got. This project had a ton of firsts, recording live instruments, using two projects (I capped out my RAM), and a bunch of other things, but in the end, this is the first time I finished a song on my own, without a deadline, forcing me to accept it isn’t perfect; and that it’s okay that it isn’t.” [Listen to Grant’s composition]
Gifting us with a short animated film production entitled “The Beauty of Imperfection,” Hria Karthikeyan, grade 8, of International Community School, illustrates a moving story of Willow, who seeks perfection yet finds herself stressed, sad and frustrated. “Be perfect, be perfect,” Willow repeats, but nothing is. Hria’s film takes us into the forest in the rain, where Willow finally discovers that—like the trees that are different but unique and beautiful—her own happiness doesn’t come from perfection, but from accepting her own imperfections and uniqueness. [View Hria’s film]
Closing out our showcase this year was a video presentation of a dance choreographed and beautifully performed by Preema Desai, grade 6, of Rose Hill Middle School. “Embrace Life With Challenges“ tells the story of a dance teacher and a young student. With physical and mental challenges, the student begins her challenging dance journey. Thanks to her teacher’s acceptance and encouragement, the student follows her passion and wins an award along the way. Preema’s expressive dance shows us that you can find beauty in imperfections by embracing them. [View Preema’s dance]
Adorning the private dining room off from the main space was a gallery of colorful visual artworks and beautifully crafted literature pieces, collected from PTAs across our council area.
LWPTSA Council shares our heartfelt thanks and appreciation with all of our Reflections student artists and their parents and guardians, our local PTA Reflections chairs, and our Council Reflections committee for making this Founders’ Day showcase and this year’s Reflections program possible.
Event photographs courtesy of Heather Wong and Carol Lugtu. Stills captured from Hria Karthikeyan’s “The Beauty of Imperfection” (2024) and Preema Desai’s “Embrace Life With Challenges” (2024). All rights reserved.