Every year, students at South submit some of their best work to the Scholastic Art and Writing competition. Through this competition, students can show what they’ve learned and done throughout the year and submit a range of pieces, including photography, paintings, digital art, ceramics and more. It’s a very exciting time for many, and once again, many students’ hard work and talent were recognized.
Overall, 25 pieces submitted by students at South were recognized by Scholastic, with eight gold keys, five silver keys, and 12 honorable mentions. Some qualities that students are judged on when submitting work, such as photography is emotional quality, aesthetics, skill set and humanistic appeal. Sarah VanDagens, South’s photography teacher, is extremely proud of all her students who were recognized, as art is very subjective.
“There were a handful of students who had some really good work that wasn’t recognized, and you never really know what the judges are going to like,” VanDagens said. “Of course, there’s that technical aesthetic quality to it, but at the end of the day, it does depend on what that particular judge thinks is quality.”
Like many, Charles Harber ’29 didn’t expect anything when he submitted a photo that he took of his brother sitting in a chair in front of a fence with a mirror capturing his face. He merely submitted it because it was an assignment for his photography class, so nothing could’ve prepared him for when he found out it earned a gold key, which is the highest award.
“I turned in whatever I thought my best photo was, I did the most editing for that photo, and I put the most work and planning into it,” Harber said. “It’s important to not just do the bare minimum, but try to do your best you can possibly do.”
Isabella Draper ’27 had submitted a total of 12 pieces into the competition and ended up receiving four awards, which was the most any student at South got this year. She decided to enter the competition since he siblings had done the same in the past and her parents were encouraging her to do the same. Draper submitted and has done all different types of arts, from photography to digital art on her iPad.
“I find it quite simple to do [drawing], because I normally focus on colors and a bit of shape, but mostly the colors and trying to match,” Draper said. “I try out different things and end up doing what works best for me.”
The Scholastic competition brought many surprises and excitement to the art department in South. All sorts of skill levels competed and were given the chance to display what they’ve learned to an audience of judges. Coming up on Tuesday, Feb. 10, there will be an award ceremony to recognize all of the winners of the competition. There’s much excitement around their art being on display, and the competition is an overall great experience for everyone.
“Any artist who is pursuing their art and wants to get involved in the competition should just keep submitting stuff every year and see if they get an award,” VanDagens said. “You don’t ever know what’s really going to stick and what’s not, and we are involved in Scholastics [competition] every year, and it’s always fun to see the kids get their awards.”
