Students Honored in Vermont Scholastic Art Awards
St. Johnsbury Academy students won 20 regional art awards in this year’s 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for both Fine Art and Writing. A total of 13 students won awards for their work in Digital Design, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Graphic Art, Mixed Media, Journalism, and Personal Essay and Memoir. They received two Gold Keys, nine Silver Keys, and nine Honorable Mentions. Entries winning regional Gold Keys will be judged at the national level of the competition in the coming weeks.
Gold Keys were awarded to seniors Anneke Beth for Do Not Enter in Printmaking and Madison Wilson for Bottomless Coffee in Personal Essay and Memoir. Wilson’s entry also earned recognition as an American Voices Nominee.
Silver Keys were awarded to sophomore Uma Chirkova for MIT ESP Promotional Illustration and The Little Newt Cleric in Digital Design and Anneke Beth for Blood Orange in Printmaking and Printmaking Nightmare in Comic Art.
Other students earning Silver Keys were sophomore Peyton Qualter for The Crisis at the Southern Border in Journalism, seniors Emma Buhner for Duality in Photography and Zoe Leach for The Red Light District in Painting, and juniors Boya Zhang for Diary in my Heart in Personal Essay and Memoir, and Alan Kennison-Prue for The Tub in Printmaking,
Senior Olivia George earned Honorable Mention for Sequence of Four in Photography and A Grunge Mix Inspired by Fashion World in Mixed Media.
Other students earning Honorable Mention were seniors Ava Lavigne for Leaving my One-Room Schoolhouse in Personal Essay and Memoir, Zoe Leach for Men Walk On Mars in Painting, Josie Sestito for Serenity in Photography, and Anneke Beth for Bluebonnets in Printmaking.
Juniors receiving Honorable Mention were Genevieve Hatch for Inner Joy in Photography, Ryoma Kato for Crybaby or A Man Crying Because of Gladness in Printmaking, and Alan Kennison-Prue for Solo Brain in Printmaking.
Head of the Fine Arts department Rosie Prevost said, “Despite the challenging Covid circumstances of a hybrid schedule for hands-on Art classes, students were able to learn, engage and make skilled, meaningful Art. This is a testimony to the resilience of our young people and the dedication and mentorship of their teachers, Florence Darling, Rodney Reis, Alex Shea, and Jenny Mackenzie. We are always grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Scholastic Art Awards and give our students the chance to connect with the larger Art community.”
Headmaster Sharon Howell said, “We are so proud of the work these students have done and the recognition they are receiving for it. Congratulations to all of the award recipients and their dedicated teachers.”