The weekend rain didn’t dampen the vibrancy and creativity of artwork featured in a region competition and created by Thomas County Central High School students.
TCCHS had two young artists place in the Valdosta State University Regional High School Art Competition: Sophie Anderson and Asia Gurulé. The exhibit opened Sunday at the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts in Valdosta.
Sophie Anderson, 16, won Best of Show for her ink, plaster, and acrylic called “Girl with Koi Fish.”
“I feel very honored to win Best of Show,” Anderson said. “This makes the third Best of Show win for this one painting. I’m very pleased with how this piece turned out and I consider it to be my best work, so far. It’s one of my more spontaneous works and really just started out as a large figure study that I added on to until it became a true artwork. I believe what stands out most to the judges in this piece is the use of lacquered paper and plaster to create a 3D effect on a 2D surface.”
Anderson received $140 for her win. She also received an honorable mention for her ink and acrylic, “Girl in a Yellow Flowered Chair.”
Asia Gurulé, 17, placed second for her clay and acrylic sculpture entitled “Violet Beaver Chewing Twigs.” She received $80.
“I feel very honored to have placed second with my piece,” she said. “I put a lot of time, effort and imagination into the work.”
The competition featured 129 artworks from 12 high schools, but only 12 pieces per teacher were allowed, according to TCCHS art teacher Jocelyn Rivard. Pieces were both two and three-dimensional works.
“I am extremely proud of the TCCHS winners and all our submissions in this very competitive show,” she said.
The exhibit is in celebration of National Youth Art Month and is open until March 27. It features hundreds of artworks from South Georgia and North Florida schools, grades K-12. The event is co-sponsored with the Valdosta State University Art Department, whose faculty are judges.
Rivard said the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts galleries are “modern and beautiful” and the exhibit reception “is special” because VSU art faculty attend to meet the student artists.
Also in attendance was Bill Slaughter, Lowndes County Board of Commissioners chairman, who spoke at the reception. He motivated parents and teachers to “be relentless” in their support of youths, “to keep encouraging young people so that they can continue to develop talents.”