The lights flickered on, music drifted through the auditorium. Junior Mykal Kelly stood behind a curtain, nervous yet excited. He stepped out onto the stage dressed in a green cardigan, wire glasses and into the gaze of dozens of attendees. He was ready to present his passion to the room. This was the first show of the Plutus Project, and he was just getting started.
The Plutus Project, named after the Latin God of wealth, is a collaborative expression effort that was originally constructed by Juniors Kelly, Ben Williams and a later addition of Ethan Brown. The three shared equal roles in the development of the project.
Over the past several months, these three have been planning an event with the intention of allowing other students to express their creativity to a larger audience.
“It’s a collective whose main objective is to create an outlet for kids to express their creativity through fashion, art and music,” Williams said. For him, this is a great outlet.
Williams saw the opportunity to use his passions to show others how to use theirs.
“I’ve been entrenched in music my whole life, it’s a passion that I’ve always had,” Williams said.
Plutus is divided into several shows, each having its own purpose. These shows will take place periodically throughout the year. The first show, focused on apparel, happened on March 12.
“There’s a lot of kids who have a lot of talent, but no way to get it out,” Kelly said. “Our goal is to give them a place where they can.”
The three juniors said they have an intense enthusiasm about creative expression and showing people their art. A proud supporter of up and coming designers, Williams was eager to assist with the fashion portion of the project. He was approached by Kelly in January.
Williams said that he believed the first show was okay, but there could’ve been improvement and he is confident that Plutus is going nowhere but upwards.
“I know that there’s creativity going on in the building, and there’s stuff that should be shared that is worth sharing,” Williams said.
In addition to fashion, the first show also featured musical performances. Junior Knyada Thomas and senior Jaylon Thomas both rapped during the second half of the show. Through Plutus, the two said they were able to express their true passion.
The group behind Plutus expects much higher attendance and much better reviews for future events. The next event will take place around the end of the school year. It will also feature a student art gallery, to appeal to different crowds. Music will also be a bigger part of the next show, with more artists planned to attend an overall larger and better show.
For junior Ethan Brown, music played a big role in his involvement with Plutus. Having been interested in electronic music for several years, Brown was eager to contributes his talents and turntables as Plutus’ DJ.
“Music really had an impact on me.” Brown said. “I got my turntables a year ago and I’ve been making music since.”
Williams wants other people, not just high school students, to feel motivated to express their ideas and passions.
The ideals behind Plutus are to incorporate every student, whether they be poor or wealthy, male or female. The group believes that everyone should be allowed to express who they are and their creativity in a judgement free environment.
“It’s bigger than me and Mykal,” Williams said. “It’s about expression.”
