Churchill County art teacher, Jaime Shafer recently announced that 19 of her students were recognized in the Scholastic Art Competition this year. “This was a record year for our art students,” she said, “especially since it is so competitive.”
According the Shafer, Scholastic is the State Competition in Nevada, and the 19 Churchill County Students took 75 awards this year in the Mixed Media, Ceramics and Glass, Drawing & Illustration, Painting, Printmaking and Portfolio categories. The student work is blind juried by professional artists in Northern Nevada, and there were over 1,500 entries from Northern Nevada.
Students are awarded a Gold Key (1st place), Silver Key (2nd place), or an Honorable Mention (3rd place). Gold Key recipients automatically move on to the National Competition in NYC where their work will be juried by professional artists.
Additionally, Shafer was named Teacher of the Year by the Scholastic competition organizers. “I was told it was because I had the most students enter the contest, so I think it is an advocacy award,” she laughed.
Shafer was invited to record a statement for the awards ceremony that will be broadcast on Facebook Live and Youtube during the awards ceremony (since they are unable to hold the awards in person). Scholastic staff recorded her statement at the Nevada Museum of Art with a film crew. Her statement is below:
“I am honored to be able to address our students and parents for the 2020-2021 Scholastic Art Awards. 2020 proved to be a difficult year for all of us. The importance of the arts became even clearer during these challenging times of school closures, distance learning, and lockdowns. We relied on movies, music, art, and entertainment--all industries that engage the creativity you see represented here in our talented students.
So few of our students have the opportunity to engage in art making until their middle or high school years and there tends to be an overarching idea that art isn't important. We see this represented in the lack of arts education in the elementary schools. Now more than ever, I remind our students and parents that we need to be vocal about the importance of the arts in our communities and schools. The arts are what got us through these tough times and what will continue to help us heal and reflect on what we have experienced.
My goal as a teacher is to encourage my students to pursue their passion, to help them recognize their talents and to build their confidence. Encouraging creativity helps students in all aspects of their education. It teaches us that small changes can have the greatest impacts. It teaches us that problems can have more than one solution. It shows us that a painting or a sculpture can be a call to action - a call for an increased focus on how art can shape our world.”
The Gold Key Exhibition will be held at the Sheppard Contemporary gallery at the University of Nevada, Reno located in the Church Fine Arts building from February 5th through March 5th, Thursday through Sunday, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Scholastic Art Awards virtual ceremony will be Friday, February 19th from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Facebook and YouTube.
Honored Students include:
Briana Alcaraz Avalos--2 Honorable Mentions
Sofia Basurto--1 Honorable Mention
Cassidy Campbell--1 Silver Key and 1 Honorable Mention
Maci Cooper--6 Silver Keys
Eric Dickens--1 Silver Key
Meeka Erwin--5 Honorable Mentions
Allison Frost--1 Gold Key, 3 Honorable Mentions
Elena Holt--3 Honorable Mentions
Camryn Hook--1 Silver Key
Reese Hutchings--3 Silver Keys
Kasey Lattin--1 Silver Key
Jackson Moon--1 Silver Key
Melanie Plasse--5 Gold Keys, 11 Silver Keys, 12 Honorable
Mentions, 1 Silver Key Portfolio, 1 Honorable Mention Portfolio,
Paola Ramos--1 Honorable Mention
Joscey Roat--1 Silver Key
Mia Snooks--1 Honorable Mention
Azruh Tessers--1 Honorable Mention
MJ Tisdale--1 Gold Key, 1 Honorable Mention
Lacee Wallace--2 Gold Keys, 2 Silver Keys, 5 Honorable
Mentions, 1 Silver Key Portfolio
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