The saying goes "life is art, art is life."

The North Andover High School library was filled with both the evening of May 22, when more than 100 pieces of student art were on display in a show organized by senior Rachel Lazar.

Families with young children, teenagers and school faculty circulated among tables and shelves laden with sculptures, illustrations, paintings and pieces in a variety of mixed media. Music written and recorded by students played in the background, and laughter and conversation buzzed through the room as folks discussed pieces and congratulated the artists.

The May 22 show all started with an idea by Lazar, 18, an artist and graphic designer in her own right. Through a senior-level class called Community Involvement, Lazar put together the show "to show the immense talent the North Andover schools have to offer."

She said she wanted to highlight the budding artistry that is sometimes overlooked and suffers from budget cuts.

"I just wanted to share this with everyone," Lazar said, motioning to the pieces on display that night. "It's so inspirational to see people looking at everyone else's work ... this was a chance to help others (other artists), and the artwork is unbelievable. I'm in awe of some of the pieces we got."

Students in Community Involvement are encourage to volunteer or give back to the community in some way. Many volunteer with local nonprofits or in North Andover public schools.

The May 22 show was a culmination of three months of planning by Lazar. She had never organized an art show before, so she received advice from several high school art teachers along the way, she said.

Art teacher Shawn Farrell "took me under his wing," she said, and graphic design teacher Allyson DiGregory "kept me on track."

When she started asking art classes at North Andover high and middle schools for submissions, Lazar said she was absolutely "overwhelmed" by the response she received from teachers and student artists.

Pieces were submitted and stored in an art room at North Andover High until May 22. Exactly 101 works of art from North Andover students in sixth through 12th grades were on display that evening. Lazar had made a hand-lettered tag for each piece giving the artist's name.

"I learned time management (through the process of planning the show). Also that it never hurts to express yourself. Someone out there is going to see (your art) and be inspired," Lazar said. "It's definitely been a learning experience.

Lazar set up a concession table the night of the show, selling water bottles and candy to raise money for the high school arts program.

Works on display that night included pieces in ceramic and clay such as a hand-formed mug with a smiling, pudgy caterpillar and leaf pattern by Maria Delgreco; sketches of anime characters, a Japanese-style of animation/illustration; mosaics; pencil sketches; paintings; graphic design; photography, and mixed media pieces.

One table displayed a replica of Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies, made out of cardboard, fabric and plastic elements. A piece titled "Fragile Worlds" by artist Heather Mendonca was the form of a bonsai tree made entirely out of trash, complete with delicate, tiny leaves made out of magazine clippings. Another statue was the form of a horse, made entirely out of bark, twigs and pine needles for the mane and tail.

Several of Lazar's works were shown, including a series of photographs taken at an abandoned mental asylum in Framingham. She describes herself as "design-minded" and also loves to make hand-illustrated designs out of words and song lyrics.

"Just set me up with my i-pod, a stack of index cards and some Sharpies (permanent markers) and I'm all set," she said of her designs with song lyrics.

"I work at Staples because I love Sharpies," she said, laughing, saying she buys a new one almost every shift.

Lazar, who lived in North Andover for second and third grades, moved back to town last year as a high school junior. This year she's taken art and design classes at the Art Institute of Boston, Montserrat College of Art and North Andover High.

Next fall, she'll attend Franklin-Pierce College for graphic design and plans to minor in photography.