SBISD Scholastic Art & Writing Award Winners Honored

Black Gold by Marie Bolt, printmaking

Thirty-five teenage artists and two young writers from Spring Branch ISD middle and high schools have earned Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in regional annual competition sponsored through the Harris County Department of Education.

SBISD student photography and art were among 63 individual works selected for display at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and 10 student artists and one writer won Gold Key awards to advance to top judging at the national level.

Eighteen students took home Silver Key art awards, and many other students won Honorable Mention awards in both art and writing. SBISD student award winners were honored in a regional ceremony held on Saturday, March 5, at Harris County Department of Education.

Colors by Chayse Sampy, art portfolio (left) and Calm Before the Storm by Ariela Romero, photography (right)

Stratford High photography and art students Kate Bortner and Chayse Sampy displayed their works at the Museum of Fine Arts. Several Houston area galleries have displayed student works, too. In addition, Stratford High’s Emiley Gex won the $500 Texas Art Scholarship for her highly ranked art portfolio.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, now 93 years old, provides an opportunity for middle and high school students to show and have their work judged. Winning works are displayed to regional and national audiences, promoting and inspiring a new generation to create and consider careers in the fine arts.

Former high school Scholastic Art & Writing winners have included notables like writers Truman Capote and Lena Dunham, photographer Richard Avedon, modern artists Andy Warhol and Robert Indiana, director/actor Robert Redford, filmmaker Ken Burns, and fashion designer Zac Posen.

View more winning artwork >>

In Harris County, teen artists and writers submitted a record 8,177 entries – 2,100 in writing and 6,077 in art. Award winners are enrolled in 18 Harris County public school districts, 16 private schools, two charter schools and one home school.

“This year, we judged 40 percent more entries, allowing for more opportunity for young writers and artists in Harris County,” Andrea Segraves, the regional award coordinator, said in a press release.
“We thank community professionals who volunteered to judge this unprecedented increase in student entries. We celebrate the support we have from corporations and nonprofits who value the futures of these talented teens,” she also said.

For more information about the regional awards, or to judge or sponsor the award submissions in the future, go to www.hcde-texas.org/scholasticartadnwriting.

SBISD Student Art Award Winners

Gold Key Awards:

Memorial High
Marie Bolt, Printmaking, “Black Gold”
Leslie Clark, Drawing and Illustration, “Lunch”
Ashley Womack, Drawing and Illustration, “Daydream Believer”

Memorial Middle
Kathryn Love, Drawing and Illustration, “When I Reflect . . .”

Spring Branch Middle
Rodas Hagos, Photography, “Lost in Translation”
Ariela Romero, Photography, “Calm Before the Storm”

Stratford High
Lauren Pfeifer, Photography, “Reflections”
Emily Gex, Art Portfolio, “19th Century”
Chayse Sampy, Art Portfolio, “Colors”
Kate Bortner, Photography, “Puddle of Fall”

Silver Key Awards:

Memorial High
Erica Kim, Mixed Media, “Emotions”
Joy Lu, Drawing and Illustration, “Age of Wisdom”
Michelle Moore, Drawing and Ilustration, “Sun’s Out, Tongue’s Out”
Katherine Hrap, Painting, “Off the Saddle”
Cade Hudson, Drawing and Illustration, “Hangers”

Memorial Middle
Ana Daza Walter, Drawing and Illustration, “Face Painting”

Spring Branch Middle
Jackie Morris, Painting, “Mind Blown”
Allison Tucker, Photography, “Grace Under Pressure”
Annie Valicek, Photography, “Matter of Time”

Stratford High
Suzannah Frazelle, Photography, “And the Lightning Strikes”
Lauren Pfeifer, Photography, “Quiet Dream”
Virginia Hernandez, Drawing and Illustration, “Ordinary to Extraordinary”
Kate Thomas, Art Portfolio, “Kate Thomas”
Katelyn Balevic, Art Portfolio, “Dockside Nature”
Lexi Duff, Photography, “Shedding Skin”
Trace Larue, Photography, “The Game”
Rachel Wedel, Photography, “Hazel Eyes”

Honorable Mention:

Memorial High
Julia Delaney, Painting, “Evolution of Self”
Julia Delaney, Mixed Media, “Pieces of Me”
Kaveri Dixit, Drawing and Illustration, “The Reader”
Michelle Moore, Drawing and Illustration, “Pastoral Symphony”
Ashley Park, Mixed Media, “The Chains of Past”
Ashley Womack, Art Portfolio, “Breadth”
Laura Buckley, Painting, “Summer Days”

Spring Branch Middle
Zoe Eagleston, Painting, “Springtime”

Stratford High
Katherine Mesa, Photography, “Broken Pieces”
Taylor Meyer, Photography, “Dreamers in the Sky”
Winona Zinola, Photography, “Beyond the Trees”
Emily Gex, Drawing and Illustration, “Pliers”
Chayse Sampy, Drawing and Illustration, “Youth”
Juwon Yoo, Drawing and Illustration, “Dissection”

SBISD art and photography instructors who support these award-winning students include Crystal Fiocchi and Marilyn Guerinot at Memorial High; Lynn Ludlam at Memorial Middle; Elissa Barry at Spring Branch Middle; and Bess Garison, Jennifer Clouse and Suzan “Kim” Lynch at Stratford High.

SBISD Student Writing Award Winners

Gold Key Award:

Stratford High
Heream Yang, Poetry, “Trophies of Triumph”

Honorable Mention:

Memorial High
Aria Herbst, Short Story, “The Cusp of Death”

SBISD instructors supporting these award-winning writing students are Lauren Shelley at Memorial High and Mary Rouse at Stratford High.