A budding youth artist is creating a name for herself and building her talent with each piece.
Savannah Barrett, a freshman art student at Thomas County Central High School, has won several awards and recognitions for her creations this year.
Barrett recently won top high school honors for Thomas County, the district and the state for the Georgia School Nutrition Association Nutrition Advisory Council’s annual poster contest. This year’s theme was “Get in the Game with School Nutrition.”
Also this school year, she placed first in “Scratch Art” at the Deep South Fair, placed first in “Pastel” at the North Florida Fair Youth Art Show, placed third in “Crayon” at the North Georgia Youth Art Show in Marietta, and won the Outstanding Freshman Award for the Thomasville Centre for the Arts High School Competition.
“I’ve always been into art,” Barrett said. “I took a fifth grade mandatory art class, but I didn’t like it. This year, I’m just now getting really into it and I love it. I like how you’re free to express yourself. Winning these awards makes me want to do better every time! I’ve learned that messing up a little is a part of art, just go with it!”
Barrett takes two art classes daily at TCCHS: Visual Comprehensive I and Pottery I.
“Savannah comes to the TCCHS art program with many inherent or learned skills,” TCCHS Art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. “And, it’s rewarding to see her learn new techniques and apply them to what she already knows. Her projects are always a notch above: they show a new or complex idea. For example, she took a simple clay face and turned it into a multicolored Medusa with snake hair. Another time, she used a papier-mâché mask and surrounded it with sun-ray type horns.”
Barrett said the two classes was a schedule “mistake” but she wouldn’t change it.
“I’ve learned so much from Mrs. Rivard,” she said. “I’m glad the ‘mistake’ happened. I plan on taking art every year now!”
The young artist likes to listen to music while she creates because it allows her to get “really focused.” Her favorite piece from this year is a graphite portrait she’s currently developing.
“It’s my favorite because I like drawing the best and this is my first portrait I’ve done,” she said.
Barrett said Rivard is “an outstanding teacher” and always motivates her. Rivard, in turn, is “very excited” to see where Barrett’s “artistic journey takes her with several more years of development.”
“I actually am interested in pursuing a career in art,” Barrett said. “I can’t decide if I want a major in art, but I definitely want to keep doing it!”