Painting a Picture of Success

Students in art classes at Fair Grove High School competed in the Mid Lakes Conference Art Show on Monday, April 17. Fair Grove came in first place overall with five students placing in at least one event.

“The Art Competition is an online-hosted event between schools in this district. It’s organized by all the pieces being photographed with specific parameters and then being posted in a mass Google Slides form with the artist’s name, age, and medium listed beside it,” explained Baily Carll (11), a student in Advanced Art. 

Only 25 maximum pieces can be entered into the competition,” she added.

The competitors achieved soaring levels of success. They earned a grand total of eight medals with five number one placements as well as a best in show for 2 dimensional art.

Those who placed from Fair Grove were Baily Carll, Minna Morris (11), Lindy Sutherland (11), Paisley Helmer (12), and Kyndal McCleary (11).

Carll was one of the two students who placed in more than one category. She expanded, “This year, I placed 1st place in both the Digital and Drawing category, as well as Best in Show 2d with my winning digital piece. This is much better than last year where I placed 3rd in Digital. This is better than I expected, usually my subject matter for my pieces is something that I expect judges to be turned off to–but apparently that’s not the case.”

The high school art teacher, Stephanie Brown, stated that the pieces entered in the competition were a mix of works that had been created by her students throughout the course of the year.

She explained, “My students work all year on their regular curriculum and then I choose from their pieces. It is usually advanced art because they are the best of the best. They work toward certain categories from the beginning of the year.”

Carll added, “…This year I made pieces in varying mediums, rather than only doing what I enjoyed the most. This way multiple pieces of mine can be entered in different categories, and it expands my professional portfolio.”

According to Mrs. Brown, there were nine categories at the show including: Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media, Digital Art, Ceramics, Sculpture, Printmaking, Fibers, and Photography. 

Mrs. Brown also explained who judged the pieces, “The competition was this past Monday with online judges who are somehow affiliated with art. For example, an art teacher from a different school, or an art professor.”