PG High art students move to national level of competition

TEXARKANA, Texas — Forty-five Pleasant Grove High School art students earned 85 awards for the Western Division of the 2020 National Scholastic Art Awards, with 18 works advancing to the national level.

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country to host the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. In 2020, students submitted nearly 340,000 works of art and writing to the Scholastic Awards.

Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Students receive gold keys, silver keys, and honorable mentions. Fold key works are then judged nationally by a panel of experts to receive national medals.

National Medalists are recognized in part at the national ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. These awards are prestigious, officials say. Artists and writing alumni include Andy Warhol, Stephen King, Sylvia Plath, Zac Posen, Robert Redford, and Lena Dunham.

The following students will be honored for their Western Region Awards in March:

SENIORS

Mason Burrow — 2 gold keys, two silver keys, honorable mention

Matthew Ainger — 2 gold keys, 1 silver key, honorable mention

Caitlyn Dyer — gold key, honorable mention

Elizabeth Tye — gold key, 2 silver key, 2 honorable mentions

Emma Sanderson — 2 silver keys, 2 honorable mention

Daphne Sexson — honorable mention Corbin Shine — silver key

Emma Beck — silver key

Robert Branch — silver key and honorable mention

William Estes — honorable mention Madison Ethridge — 2 silver keys, honorable mention

Bladen Formes — silver key, honorable mention

Simren Pokhrel — silver key, honorable mention

Aubrey Oller — 2 honorable mention

JUNIORS

Lexi Snyder — 2 gold key, honorable mention

Jazmin Hever — silver key

Kelsey Clark — gold key, silver key Carter Prewitt — honorable mention Harleigh O’Neal — 2 honorable mention Gracie Carr – 4 honorable mentions Sydney Williams — gold key, honorable mention

Macey Wright — 2 silver keys

Leslie Reyes — honorable mention

SOPHOMORES

Gracie Kennedy — 2 gold keys, silver key, 2 honorable mentions

Katie Cheatham — gold key, silver key Ellie Coker — gold key, silver key, honorable mention

Hailey Epps — gold key, silver key Allyana Galvan — honorable mention Emma Jones — honorable mention Matthew Thomas — 2 honorable mention Ava Keyes – 2 honorable mentions Logan Knowles — silver key, honorable mention

Bridgette Lundy — gold key

Zoe Sturgeon — 2 honorable mention Camrynn Parrish — gold key

FRESHMEN

Erica Zofcin — gold key

Emma Case – honorable mention Harleigh O’Neal — 2 honorable mention Ruby Rehkoph — gold key

Elliot White — honorable mention Ciara Brookover — honorable mention Lily Buck — honorable mention Mark Bultemeier — honorable mention Madison Davis — gold key Addison Spencer — silver key

The Pleasant Grove High School Art Department is under the direction of Nicole Brisco and assisted by Melissa Manning.

Photo courtesy of Shelby Akin, PGISD ■ Front Row: Zoe Sturgeon, Kelsey Clark, Lilly Buck, Katie Cheatham, Macey Wright, Jazmin Hever, Ellie Tye, Emma Beck, Leslie Reyes, Erica Zofcin and Bridgette Lundy. Middle Row: Allyana Galvan, Ciara Brookover, Cassidy Rogers, Hailey Epps, Elliot White, Madison Ethridge, Simren Pokhrel, Aubrey Oller, Gracie Kennedy, Caitlyn Dyer, Ava Keyes, Addison Spencer and Lexi Snyder. Back Row: Ruby Rhekoph, Madison Davis, Matthew Thomas, Daphne Sexson, Gracie Carr, Emma Sanderson, Will Estes, Harleigh O’Neal, Braden Formed, Mason Burrow, Matthew Angier and Mark Bultemier. Not pictured: Emma Case, Carter Prewitt, Corbin Shine, Logan Knowles, Jay Branch, Ellie Coker, Sydney Williams and Camrynn Parrish.