Art students at Thomas County Central High School made a positive first impression in an inaugural showcase.
Some of the school’s young artists won six of the eight high school awards in the maiden Thomasville Kiwanis Club Art & Music Showcase. The school placed in each of the four grade divisions, sweeping two.
“These winning artworks demonstrate a standard of excellence that students are willing to meet, often through extended time beyond the classroom,” TCCHS art teacher Jocelyn Rivard said. “They also show visual arts talent and motivation. ‘Motivation’ is the key word, however, as with enough of it, students with less innate talent can still compete very successfully.”
First place winners were Kate Weaver in the 10th grade division and Darius James in the 11th grade division. Both received a $50 Visa gift card and advanced to district competition.
James entered a piece created with colored pencils and markers titled "Man in a Green Checker Shirt." It depicts “how someone could feel with a nice, warm and calm setting; a moment of peace,” he said.
He is proud of his achievement and has encouragement for others.
“This first place win in this competition shows that I made artwork that can appeal to someone's feelings, and that a person can do what they believe in,” James said. “No matter what you do, if you believe in yourself you can make things happen.”
Weaver’s winning art is “Cottage with Trees,” an ink and washes piece.
“My piece is a cottage house drawn with ink and a paintbrush and then washed over with light colored water (watered down ink),” she said.
She is “very proud” of her accomplishment.
Other placers were: Sophie Anderson won second place in the 12th grade division for “Girl with Koi Fish”; Chris Harry won second place in the 11th grade division for “Poppies in Pot”; Tykaya Muse won second place in the 10th grade division for “Bulldog”; and, Juan Lopez won second place in the ninth grade division for “Dog on Street.”
Chris Harry describes his “Poppies in Pots” as “a white base sheet of paper with a black glue outline of three poppy flowers in pots on a table.” He used a variety of warm and cool watercolors.
“I am thankful for the recognition and it helps motivate myself to put forth that extra effort in my art class,” he said.?
The competition was open to students in sixth through twelfth grades with a winner in each grade.
“We are thrilled to provide this new opportunity for the youth of Thomasville-Thomas County to compete at a high level with great scholarship awards,” according to a showcase letter by committee co-chairs Jason Stanley and Stephanie Fewell White.
Rivard said, though unsure of what the judges wanted in a first event, the competition was “a good fit” for her students since it was open to a variety of media and subject matter. She adds that, because there are several competitions running concurrently, it meant “tough decisions” in determining which student pieces would be entered.
“Students’ works are selected for art competitions when they meet high standards of technical skill, craftsmanship, composition, and use of a creative subject or theme,” Rivard said. “At this show, students relished the chance to compete against others in their own grade, instead of most exhibitions where freshman are typically pitted against seniors.”
The winning pieces are currently on exhibit at the Thomasville-Thomas County Chamber of Commerce through the end of March. Then, the first place winners’ artwork will be sent to the district Kiwanis competition, to be held April 30 at the Albany Municipal Auditorium.