REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) –– Seven Redmond Proficiency Academy students have won 14 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for 2021.
The awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative teens. They recognize a variety of artistic mediums such as writing, painting and photography each year.
RPA junior student Evelyne Anderson, one of the school’s winners, said Thursday she’s happy that she got honorable mentions for her work. She is planning on working her way up to a bigger recognition.
“The honorable mention isn’t the highest award you can get, but it’s just really fun to see your art be validated in that way,” Anderson said. “Senior year, I’m hoping to go all out with a photo shoot and really have a distinct vision, and maybe shoot for earning a gold key or something like that.”
RPA students have participated in the annual Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for the past 12 years, each year winning awards in a number of categories.
This year’s winners include:
- Sophomore Jaxin Sellers, Honorable Mention in the Digital Art category
- Junior Evelyne Anderson, two Honorable Mentions for her photography
- Junior Matia Niemi, Honorable Mention for her painting titled “Fire in Her Heart”
- Senior Rocio Ruiz, Honorable Mention for his photography
- Senior Erin Wanamaker, five Honorable Mentions for her paintings.
- Senior Elena Hazzard, Silver Key award for her art portfolio;
- And Junior MeiChi Neilson, two Silver Key awards and an Honorable Mention in the Drawing & Illustration category
“I’m very proud of this year’s award winners,” said Ethan Steltzer, a visual arts teacher at RPA. “My students have obviously had a difficult school year of distance learning, so it is refreshing to see them producing fantastic artwork and maintaining some normalcy during an anything but normal year.”
In previous years, award ceremonies and gallery displays were hosted at the Pinckney Center for the Performing Arts at Central Oregon Community College.
This year, Steltzer said the plan is to have senior portfolios on display at Crow’s Feet Commons in Bend, beginning in April.
