Oregon’s largest student art show marked a major milestone, celebrating 10 years, more than 1,600 student artworks, and a creative legacy that endured through COVID.
The Clackamas ESD Regional Art Show Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 28, honored 232 student entries from 29 middle and high schools across all 10 public school districts in Clackamas County. A panel of judges evaluated entries based on visual impact, originality, composition, technique, use of materials, and mastery of design principles.
“As Oregon’s largest student art show, this event represents something truly special,” Didway said. “It brings together students from every corner of Clackamas County and gives the community a chance to see the talent, perspective, and promise in our schools.”
This year’s top honor went to Miles Stolte, an eighth grader at Tumwata Middle School in Oregon City, whose painting earned Best in Show after judges praised its originality, technical skill, and emotional depth.
Judges praised the piece as a “very creative idea” for incorporating dogs with fruit, while noting the “great brushwork and outstanding original imagery.”
Stolte’s artwork earned the highest cumulative score from judges and received multiple honors, including first place in the eighth-grade category, Best Drawing and Painting medium award, and an Art Speaks Award. For the Art Speaks Award, each judge selects one piece that conveyed a particularly powerful message and explains why it stood out.
Recording of the awards ceremony coming soon!
“Miles’ work represents the kind of originality, skill, and emotional depth that make this show so powerful,” said Larry Didway, superintendent of Clackamas ESD. “To earn Best in Show among hundreds of entries from across the county is an extraordinary achievement.”
The show also featured 21 entries from students in Clackamas ESD’s Life Enrichment Education Program, or LEEP, which provides comprehensive education for students with complex disabilities and communication needs.
“This show gives students a chance to be seen and heard in a different way,” Didway said. “It is about talent, certainly. But it is also about voice, perspective, imagination, and the many ways young people make meaning of the world around them.”
Student artists turn personal stories into award-winning work
Students from across the county earned recognition in grade-level, medium-specific, and special award categories.
For many students, the show offered a chance to share deeply personal stories through their artwork. Marisa Tenorio-Newman, an eighth grader from Happy Valley Middle School, said her piece was inspired by family, memory, and heritage.
“I created my artwork to honor and remember my grandpa, who passed away last year,” Tenorio-Newman said. “He always supported my art, and I wanted to celebrate all that he did for me. I also wanted to honor his sister, who continues to fight for the rights of Mexican Americans and Hispanic people.”
Karina Secchi of West Linn High School earned first place in the 12th-grade category for “Animal Farm.” Secchi also received an Art Speaks Award.
Judges praised the piece for its ambition, technical skill, and impact. One judge noted that they “kept returning to this piece again and again,” citing Secchi’s command of oil painting and the ambitious scale of the work.
Elijah Gohman, a seventh-grade student at Wood Middle School in Wilsonville, earned second place in the seventh-grade category and an Art Speaks Award for his piece, “The Giant Waffle.”
The judge who selected the piece said the work followed “its own creative compass with imagination and heart.”
Teacher feedback leads to new medium-specific awards
Each year, Clackamas ESD asks teachers what worked well, what could be improved, and what ideas should be considered for future shows. Last year, teachers expressed strong interest in awards that recognized student excellence within specific artistic mediums. In response, five new medium-specific award categories were added for the 2026 show.
The inaugural medium-specific award winners were:
Drawing and Painting: Miles Stolte, Tumwata Middle School, untitled
Digital Art and Photography: Alex Trojan, Lake Oswego High School, “Focus”
Ceramics and Sculpture: Chloe Penix, Alder Creek Middle School, untitled
Graphic Design: Shuchi Qian, Lake Oswego High School, “Heartbeat and Gears”
Mixed Media: Addalyn Hosely, Alder Creek Middle School, “Collage Portrait of Lizzo (inspired by Bisa Butler)”
Community partners contribute more than $100,000 in student prizes
Award winners received more than $100,000 in prizes and opportunities contributed by regional arts partners, colleges, and community sponsors.
Prizes included scholarships, tuition support, art classes, gift cards, and art supplies. Donating partners included Clackamas Community College, Clackamas River Basin Council, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, OK You, One River School of Art and Design, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and Venvino Art Studios.
“The generosity behind this show sends a powerful message to students,” Didway said. “When community partners, artists, and educators come together to recognize young people, they are telling students that their creativity has value and that their voices matter.”
Special awards spotlight student voice, artistic courage, and lasting legacy
Students also received recognition for artwork that stood out for its impact, message, and connection to the history of the Regional Art Show.
The Staff Choice Award, chosen by Clackamas ESD staff, was presented to Jonah Brundidge, an eighth-grade student at Estacada Middle School, for “Jane Goodall.”
Kyrie Thoensen Metts, an eighth-grade student at Welches Middle School, received the Jada Rupley Superintendent’s Choice Award for “Ephemeral.”
The award honors Jada Rupley, retired superintendent of Clackamas ESD, whose vision launched the Regional Art Show a decade ago. A champion of the arts, Rupley believed young artists deserved to be celebrated and given a place to share their work.
Art Speaks Awards were presented to Miles Stolte, Karina Secchi, Elijah Gohman, Saige Van Cauteren, Izzy Irizarry-Power, Makenzie Lowry, Eden Rosensteel, and Ava Quitslund.
Teachers help young artists find confidence, voice, and perspective
The Regional Art Show honored more than 30 teachers who helped students prepare their artwork and supported them throughout the creative process.
Troy Matthews, an art teacher at Wood Middle School in Wilsonville, said the show stands out because it gives young artists a meaningful way to share how they see the world.
“This is one of the best art shows in Oregon because it’s young people expressing themselves on how they see and understand the world,” Matthews said. “It allows us to see the world through their perspective.”
Tara Preston, an art teacher in the Molalla River School District, said teachers play an important role in helping young artists move through moments of uncertainty.
“Every artist has a moment when they question whether they want to keep working on their art,” Preston said. “But they learn to push past that uncertainty, and in doing so, they create something amazing.”
For Didway, the evening reflected the power of giving students space to create, express themselves, and be recognized.
“One of the gifts of evenings like this is that they remind us how much promise lives in our young people,” Didway said. “When students are given the chance to create, to express themselves, and to be seen, they help all of us imagine what is possible.”
