Think you can’t be inspired by the art of high school students?

Carole Gutterman, the associate curator of education at the Norton Museum of Art, would disagree. She curated the exhibit “Based on Books,” on display through Jan. 7, one of four annual exhibits showcasing students’ work.

“They’re always fabulous,” Gutterman said of the students. “Just incredible. As a former art teacher, I really like to support the teachers and I really miss working with students.

“One thing I brought from with me from Virginia Beach was the idea of having the students talk about their process. In today’s world, other than simply an image, it’s important for the kids to be able to talk about their process, explaining the path they took to get there. Don’t just show me the end result.”

The exhibit challenged art students in Palm Beach County to create a photograph that would illustrate the importance of books. The theme was chosen to highlight the Palm Beach County Library System’s Ninth Annual Families Reading Together campaign.

Gabi Quagliariello of Santaluces High School photographed a girl reading “Castaway” underwater to show how easy it is to become immersed in a good book. The reader exists in a solitary world, but the book is the focal point. The bubbles surrounding her make it look as if the book is providing oxygen and she’s breathing the words.

Taylor Negrin of Royal Palm Beach High School presented a zippered book to illustrate how books open new worlds.

Elizabeth Wila of John I. Leonard showed how “life grows and flourishes through books.”

Bjork Clarke of Santaluces High School put reading glasses on her dog and shot the photo in black and white to add emotion.

Matthew Blum of Atlantic High School photographed his young brother and sister reading. The photo illustrates how reading is passed on from one person to another and how books grow with you.

Mika Durante of Atlantic High School produced a photographic collage that depicted the many reasons we read: for fun, for information, to learn, to stay connected. Her message was to show that reading is a hobby that transcends age.

Stephanie LaBruna of Palm Beach Central created a photograph to express how reading is an escape, a vacation for the mind.

Rachel Gibbons of the Dreyfoos School of the Arts captured the flavor of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” with her photograph of a handsome young man whose reflection in the mirror depicts a hideous creature and the “degredation and corruption of one’s soul.” The outside may be beautiful, but the inside is something very different.

Chad Feierstone of Dreyfoos used multiple exposures with a strobe light to capture a full range of motion in one frame, inspired by “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” In this piece, the artist remains detached and asks the viewer to do the work interpreting the photo, much the way a reader interprets a book.