Nearly $100,000 in potential scholarships and other prizes were presented to middle and high school student artists at the seventh annual Clackamas Education Service District Regional Art Show awards ceremony.
Estacada High School sophomore Carly Suo won “Best in Show” honors for her set of ballpoint pen portraits entitled, “Terror.” Suo also took home 10th grade first-place honors, and won an “Art Speaks” award presented to pieces conveying powerful messages.
The awards ceremony, held at the Clackamas ESD administrative building on April 27, honored the record 242 students in 10 Clackamas County school districts who submitted artworks to this year’s show.
Nearly 50 juried and special awards were presented during the ceremony, which was preceded by a reception for student artists and their teachers and families. The generous prizes offered to students were made possible by the sponsorship of Pacific Northwest College of Art, Clackamas Community College, Venvino Art Studios and Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts.
Suo earned multiple prizes for her three wins, including a pre-college program scholarship from PNCA; a four-credit tuition waiver from Clackamas Community College; gift cards from Venvino Art Studios and Blick Art Materials, the opportunity to showcase her art in the upcoming Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts; and miscellaneous art supplies.
Estacada High School had another double winner: Lilly Horn earned an 11th grade second-place award as well as the Staff Choice Award, voted on by employees of Clackamas ESD. The ESD will purchase Horn’s artwork, an acrylic painting entitled, “A Daily Fight for Survival,” and keep it on permanent display.
Other top high school winners included:
- Wilsonville High School seniors Stephanie Yang and Annabelle Nothwang, who tied for 12th grade first-place honors with Yang’s painting “Lingering” and Nothwang’s sculpture “Green Dragon.”
- West Linn High School junior Linrou Liu, who placed first in 11th grade for her painting, “Straw Hat,” and freshman Anwesha Chowdhury, who took 9th grade first-place honors for her watercolor, “Psychedelic.”
- Colton High School senior Sydney Earls, who won the Jada Rupley Superintendent’s Choice Award for her scratchboard etching entitled, “Pleasant Donkey.” The award is named after Clackamas ESD Regional Art Show founder and retired superintendent Jada Rupley, and its recipient was selected by current superintendent Larry Didway. The ESD will purchase Earls’ artwork for permanent display.
All high school winners received varying levels of PNCA scholarships, gift cards and art supplies from Venvino Art Studios, and the opportunity to showcase their art in the youth exhibit at this summer’s Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts. Five top winners also received Clackamas Community College tuition waivers.
At the lower grade levels, Estacada Middle School swept top three honors in eighth grade: Alexis Hibbert was awarded first place for “Portrait of Bertram,” Ren Suo took second place for “Marilyn” and Katelyn Heur won third place for “Aurora,” all graphite and colored pencil drawings. First place in seventh grade went to Adina Lozovan of Inza R. Wood Middle School in West Linn for her moving portrait of her Ukranian grandparents entitled, “Hope.” The first-place award in sixth grade was shared by two students:
- Brady Myers for his untitled painting and mixed media piece. Brady is enrolled in Clackamas ESD’s Life Enrichment Education Program at Alder Creek Middle School in Milwaukie.
- Noel Hildenbrand of Rosemont Ridge Middle School in West Linn for her mixed media piece, “Washed Away,” a message about climate change.
All middle school winners received art supplies, Venvino Art Studios gift cards, and the opportunity to showcase their art in the youth exhibit at this summer’s Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts.
Clackamas ESD unveiled a new “Art Speaks” award this year, asking each adjudicator to select a piece that conveyed the strongest message. In addition to works by grade-level first-place award winners Carly Suo, Adina Lozovan and Noel Hildenbrand, five other artworks were selected for these awards by judges:
- “Escaping from Adulthood,” a photograph by Sophie Lucas of Lake Oswego High School.
- “Hey, Steve!”, a colored pencil and digital portrait by Angelia Allworth of Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center in Milwaukie.
- “The Arctic Lighthouse,” an acrylic painting by Louis Cenit of Wilsonville High School.
- “Suhail Azizi,” a graphite drawing by Cameron Azizi of Wilsonville High School.
- “Emotional,” a painting and sketch by Kali Adams of Harmony Academy in Lake Oswego.
A complete list of winning students and their artwork can be found in the slide show at the top of this page.
“This annual art show gets bigger and better every year, and we are thrilled to be able to showcase and recognize the work of so many talented young Clackamas County artists,” said Clackamas ESD Superintendent Larry Didway. “It also takes a large and dedicated team to shepherd this event. We are deeply indebted to our generous sponsors – PNCA, Clackamas Community College, Venvino Art Studios and Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts. We so appreciate the 11 professional artists who donated many, many hours to adjudicating our entries. And we are profoundly grateful to the 46 teachers who curated, prepped and submitted art from their students for display.
“Mostly, however, I want to thank our 242 participating students. At all ages and grade levels, they are exhibiting a level of creativity, skill and maturity in their art that is a true joy to behold. I’m honored to be a part of an event that shines a bright spotlight on these promising young artists.”
The 2023 Clackamas ESD Regional Art Show is open until May 5, and the virtual gallery will remain online.
