Student Art Awards Show Opens at the Fine Arts Center
The Fine Arts Center is currently exhibiting award-winning art by student artists from across Southwest Virginia.
Pulaski, VA – Teen artists from across Southwest Virginia have submitted their work for the Scholastic Art Awards, and the award-winning art is now displayed at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley. Almost 500 entries were received from student artists in grades 7-12 across a geographic range of 23 counties and independent towns and cities in Southwest Virginia. Artwork awarded a Gold Key at the regional level moves to the national level to compete for awards, a chance to participate in national exhibits, and up to $130,000 in scholarships.
At the regional level, the Fine Arts Center is providing scholarships to the top middle school and high school students. Five high school students whose work was judged to be the top across all categories are designated as American Visions Nominees and receive a $250 scholarship. In addition, two $250 scholarships will be awarded to the Outstanding Middle School entries. Those students are listed below.
- Elizabeth Lisic, Grade 8, Blacksburg New School, Blacksburg; Outstanding Middle School Entry for Drawing & Illustration: A Good Day’s Work
- Mahima Sethumadhavan, Grade 8, Cave Spring Middle School, Roanoke; Brooks Bousquet, teacher; Outstanding Middle School Entry for Painting: Fish swim by
- John Emmett, grade 12, Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg; Geoff Rowland, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Ceramics & Glass: Untitled 2
- Emma Hungate, grade 9, Blacksburg High School, Blacksburg; Megan Wright, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Drawing & Illustration: Red Light
- Kendall Lecas, grade 12, Burton Center for Arts & Tech, Salem; Natalie Strum, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Painting: Who am I?
- Neela Megow, grade 9, Lord Botetourt High School, Fincastle; Meagan Stump, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Painting: Feast
- Aliyah (Yammy) Williams, grade 12, Burton Center for Arts & Tech, Salem; Natalie Strum, teacher; American Visions Nominee for Painting: Missing What Once Was
These works and most of the winning entries can be observed in person at the Edna B. Love Gallery at the Fine Arts Center at 21 West Main Street in downtown Pulaski until Saturday, February 22. A reception will be held on February 22 at the Center at noon and awards will be presented to students across the street at the Pulaski Theatre at 2 p.m. The winning artwork can also be viewed in an online gallery at FACNRV.org/scholastic.
The Scholastic Art Awards sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for teens in the arts. Since the program’s founding in 1923, the Awards have fostered the creativity and talent of millions of students and include a distinguished list of alumni including Andy Warhol, Ken Burns, Lena Dunham, Jacob Landau, Richard Avedon, Zac Posen, and Tschabalala Self, all of whom received recognition in the Awards when they were teens.
The Fine Arts Center of the New River Valley has been the official affiliate of the Scholastic Art Awards for Southwest Virginia for nearly twenty years. For more information about the Fine Arts Center, please visit our website at FACNRV.org.
More information about the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards can be found by visiting the Scholastic News Room at www.artandwriting.org.