Gallery • 5 Photos

Lily Marchan

Gathered in a small room, a healthy-sized crowd of artists, friends, and family, sits and waits for awards to be announced. “It was kind of scary to sit there with all those people. Maybe I was nervous because I wasnt sure if I was going to win but I could definitely feel tension in the room,” senior Anna Craggs said.

The White Bear Center for the Arts (WCBA) sponsored a High School Visual Arts contest. Students from the Northeast Metro in grades 9-12th were invited to enter original pieces of art in this juried art show that also had cash prizes for exemplary pieces.

With encouragement from art teacher, Carey Nisi, several Stillwater students submitted pieces with hope they would be a part of this event. Sam Distefano, Tiana Meador , Caitlin Rademacher, Anna Craggs, Madison Och, Lydia Benson, Ashley Gorman, Marta Markowicz, Dylan Cook, Rachel Habib, and Andrea Gomez were all judged by a panel from the WCBA and selected to be a part of the show.

“I wasn’t sure if I was going to get in. I entered in a few shows earlier this year, but haven’t gotten anything with the same photo. I hoped I was going to get in, but wasn’t sure based on what happened earlier,”  senior Anna Craggs said.

Among the students selected, a few went on to receive awards for their work. Craggs, along with Distefano, Rademacher and Markowicz, were all awarded with cash prizes for their pieces.

“It was pretty cool to win the award. I’ve also won a few in the past from the state fair but never through an actual ‘art center’. It gives me confidence that my art is actually good and not something that’s just average. I’m really happy about the award,” junior Sam Distefano said.

This show gives aspiring art students an added bonus to their growing portfolio. It is an excellent way for students to experience being in an actual gallery setting and gain some insight into what being a professional artist is like. There is a lot more that goes into being an artist than just the creativity. Each piece must be displayed neatly in its respective place in the gallery.

“I’m really excited for how this could benefit me in the future. I will be able to put this on college applications and it will give me an advantage over those that don’t have this opportunity. It really showed me valuable skills, like how to present my piece in an actual gallery,” junior Rachel Habib said.

The show runs from now until May 18, located at the White Bear Center for the Arts, Ford Family Gallery. The hard work of each artist remains beautifully displayed for all to see.