Submitted photo
Best of Show Winner, Annika Decker of Portsmouth West High School.
Submitted photo
“Hoffnung” (hope) by Portsmouth West High School art student Annika Decker won Best of Show.
Submitted photo
(from left to right): Brooklyn Moore, Valley; Hailey Hinch, Clay; Molley Fannin, Portsmouth; Annika Decker, Portsmouth West; Kalyn Ehrhart, South Webster; Kristen Egerton, Minford; Andrea Frump, Portsmouth West; Bre Winters, Portsmouth.
Ryan Scott Ottney
PDT Staff Writer
The 2013 Scioto County High School Art Show “Visually Literate” is on exhibit now through May 9 at the Southern Ohio Museum. Annika Decker, a German exchange student at Portsmouth West High School won Best of Show for her sculpture, titled “Hoffnung.”
Sharee Price, gifted services coordinator at the South Central Ohio Educational Services Center in New Boston, said being visually literate means being able to gain meaning from what we see and being able to communicate meaning to other people through images.
Each school district in Scioto County submitted 15 pieces of student artwork. An Opening Reception and Awards Ceremony were held Thursday, April 11, at the Southern Ohio Museum, where Shawnee State University art professor Lane Raiser acted as juror and keynote speaker. Categories included Black and White Drawing, Painting, Color Drawing, Sculpture, Functional Art, Mixed Media and Graphic Design.
There were 140 student entries, and 50 were chosen by the juror to be featured in the show.
“They do fantastic work. They exceed expectations oftentimes. I think their teachers are doing a great job of conveying the idea of having higher goals and reaching for those goals,” Price said. “This year I think the sculpture category was the most interesting, and that’s where our Best of Show winner comes from.”
Best of Show was awarded to Annika Decker, a exchange student from Essen, Germany, attending Portsmouth West High School, for her paper mache sculpture titled “Hoffnung,” which means “hope” in Annika’s home language. She was presented a $200 award with her Best of Show medallion.
“I wanted to create something about that word (“hope”) and about the way it is changing because of human suffering. My art piece kind of represents that we have to have hope,” Annika said.
Annika has never practiced or been interested in art until she arrived in Lance Estep’s art class at West High School.
“I was surprised when I came here and had art class. It was different than in Germany. It was a lot more doing, a lot more hands on and not just write about artists,” Annika said. “It was a good experience for me to create such an art piece. I really enjoyed it.”
She has been in the United States for eight months, and will return home in 40 days. She said this experience has changed her and given her a new appreciation for art which she would like to pursue in college and career. Price said Annika’s art went above and beyond expectations and was phenomenal, and West art teacher Lance Estep called it impressive.
“Everything is done for a reason, and that’s very refreshing. It makes it easy to teach when you have someone who is inspired and wants to challenge herself and not scared to take chances. She’s been a real joy,” he said.
First Place winners from the Visually Literate show were awarded $50 each and awards went to: Molley Fannin and Bre Winters, Portsmouth; Hailey Hinch, Clay; Andrea Frump, West; Kriten Egerton, Minford; Brooklyn Moore, Valley; and Kalyn Ehrhart, South Webster.
Second Place awards went to: Austin May and Katie Woloschek, Wheelersburg; Hailey Hinch, Clay; Jamie Justice, Minford; Destiny Campbell and Janell Kinney, Portsmouth.
Third Place awards went to: Meghan Schultz and Kayla Hall, Wheelersburg; Brooklyn Moore, Valley; Lisa Adkins, South Webster; Alice Cooper and Sara Brocato, Clay; Patrick Lanzi, West; and Katy Singer, Minford.
Honorable Mentions were awarded to: Emily Shope and Tiffany Knauff , Valley; Sassy Etters, Northwest; Ally Darnell and Anna Trankina, Wheelersburg; and Jean Sourdois, New Boston.
“I think it’s awesome that the museum allows us that space every year to show student work, and it shows that the community is supporting our young artists. I think that being visually literate is increasingly important for students in this technology-driven world that we’re living in now. Images have just become so important as a means of communications, I think it’s really important that all students become more visually literate,” Price said.
Price called the Visually Literate exhibit the culminating high school art show of the 2012-13 school year. Selected pieces are on display now, through May 9, at the Southern Ohio Museum in Portsmouth. Some pieces also are for sale.
Ryan Scott Ottney can be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 287, or rottney@civitasmedia.com. For breaking news, follow Ryan on Twitter @PDTWriter.
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