Winning art pieces include, from left, “Mother” by McKenzie Burdick, “The Last Reflection” by Emma Simpkins, “My Road” by Jeana Jang and “Octavius” by Kristina Girvan.
Celebrations are in order for four regional young artists this week.
Four students who go to school in the Northwest Educational Service District 189 region earned top awards at the recent Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) annual high school art show.
Kristina Girvan, a freshman at Friday Harbor High School, earned the Governor’s Award for the ceramic piece “Octavius.”
During the state award ceremony, State Superintendent Chris Reykdahl said he’s seen a lot of art pieces from this contest over the years and the intricacy of the “Octavius” design stands out.
In a video played during the ceremony, Kristina said she was looking to create a piece that would challenge her and would make people take another look.
“I landed on making an octopus because it represents the challenge of balancing everything in life when everything else feels unstable and unpredictable,” she said.
To create the octopus’ shape and tentacles, she had to wield 20 pounds of wet clay, with a hollow structure, which was difficult, she said.
She said that process made her realize how important a stable foundation is, even when there are unpredictable factors at play. She also learned about going with the flow and letting the plan change when it needs to.
Gov. Bob Ferguson and a special guest (his daughter Katie, who is a senior in high school and an artist) selected Kristina’s piece for this honor.
Katie said she is taking a pottery class and knows how difficult a piece like this is to make.
“It’s a really beautiful, beautiful piece,” Gov. Ferguson said.
“Mother,” a color pencil piece by Oak Harbor High School junior McKenzie Burdick, earned the Jurors’ Choice Award.
Deb Lal is the juror that chose “Mother” for its award. She said she felt a sense of connection with this piece. She also highlighted its attention to detail and that it made her feel joy.
McKenzie said she tried to capture the emotions in the chicken’s eye, something that shouldn’t be limited to only human subjects.
“This piece reflects how I see the world,” she said in a video played during the award ceremony. “I have a big heart, and I think that even the most overlooked things, like a chicken, can hold complexity, emotion, and beauty if you take the time to really look.”
Jeana Jang, a freshman at Glacier Peak High School in Snohomish, won the ArtsEd Washington Award for a mixed media piece called “My Road.”
“I always wanted to represent my perspective changed through art,” she said in her video.
She once thought of her future as an endless road, but supportive people around her helped open her mind up to the possibilities that could be waiting.
“Whether it’s good or bad, I hope everyone realizes how the world is full of surprises and is not something to be afraid of at all,” she said. “I chose mixed media for the submission to show reality and unexpected dreams and futures blend in with each other.”
Ellicia Elliot represented ArtsEd Washington during the award ceremony.
“’My Road’ embodies the idea that each of our students is traveling their own path, often fraught with obstacles, both seen and unseen, working to provide themselves with safety and meaning, using whatever tools they have,” she said. “Art is so often the tool they need the most to make meaning and blossom forward in life. This artist reminds us not to hide behind our defenses, but to keep moving forward and to embrace the uniqueness that is only ours to experience.”
“The Last Reflection,” a photograph by Glacier Peak High School senior Emma Simpkins, earned the Washington State Parent Teacher Association Award.
In her video during the ceremony, Emma talked about the emotions she felt when taking this photograph. She relocated the bee to one of her family’s hives, so it could “live its last moments near the warmth and shelter it dedicated its life to protecting.”
She said this bee protected others for its entire life.
“I believe it signifies the importance of reaching human potential through learning from our own mistakes and challenges whilst finding a balance of discovering identity and helping others do the same,” she said. “In today’s society, we have begun to focus a lot on pleasing others and neglecting our own personal growth, which I believe is where human potential is rooted. Moments such as death signify both the worst and best of our lives. And I believe this bee’s death held a potent message regarding our failure to look inwards when things may go awry.”
Michelle Weinmaster represented the Washington State PTA at the ceremony.
“I chose this piece because it was very moving and graphic,” she said.
The full list of state winners is on the OSPI website.
To earn their spot at the state contest, the pieces went up against others from young artists across the NWESD region. Fifteen winners moved to the state level from the NWESD.
For the full list of NWESD 189 winners, visit the NWESD online gallery.
Congratulations to all the artists!
Please note: Jeana Jang’s piece entered the state art show via PSESD’s regional contest. More information on her piece can be found on the PSESD website.
