VCS announces winners of high school art competition

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Celebrating its fifth year, the Vineyard Conservation Society (VCS) announced the winners of its annual high school art competition, “The Art of Conservation.” This year’s submissions will hang in the Feldman Family Artspace at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center from May 26 to June 11. An opening reception and award ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 26, at 3:30 pm to honor the students. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.

Immediately following the awards presentation, the Film Center will screen “Love and Bananas,” part of the Film Center’s Environmental Film Festival.

According to a VCS press release, the contest is open to all media, and this year’s 64 entries include photographs, crafts, sculpture, painting, drawing, and architectural models. Each year VCS asks art students to respond to a unique theme, and this year that theme was “Habitat” — a place which supplies essential resources such as food, water, and shelter for humans or animals.

The entries were judged by Harry Seymour, a celebrated local painter; Margaret Curtin, an architect and long-term supporter of VCS; and Jhenn Watts, photographer and curator of the Field Gallery. First prizes were won by Jonathan Chivers and Olivia Schroeder for their photographs, and Owen Metell for his architectural model. Special distinctions were awarded to Felix Colon, Simone Davis, Jeneleigh Griffin, Jenna Josephs, Julianne Josephs, Hemilly Nascimento, Aidan Nunes, and Davin Tackabury. The “VCS Staff Picks” were awarded to Frank Cray and Josue Dos Santos.

Teachers from across the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School art department provided support for the art competition. As part of the contest, VCS links art classes with a local artist to share the experience as they explore the conservation theme. Last year photography students were able to work with David Welch. This year Susie White, a local painter, worked with painting students as they explored the contest theme. Architecture students visited the Oak Bluff Water Works site to scout a hilltop location for their projects. And photography students made their own forays into nature to search for inspiring habitat scenes.

VCS thanks the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council for its funding for this program.