High school students take the prize for creativity
By Janet Hefler
Published: February 11, 2010
Creative works by students at Martha's Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) captured the attention of judges and earned top awards in several recent competitions, both at the state and national levels.
"Blind," a photo from Hannah Marlin's award-winning senior portfolio. Click on photo to enlarge. Photos courtesy of MVRHS"The entire visual arts faculty is very proud of these students and all the others who had work entered into the competitions," MVRHS art, design, and technology department chairman Paul Brissette wrote in an email this week.
Senior Hannah Marlin is one of only 20 students in the U.S. to win a $100 merit award for photography from the senior portfolio program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (NFAA). About 6,000 to 8,000 students register for the YoungArts program, and approximately 10 percent receive cash awards each year, according to NFAA's website.
Freshman Katherine Smith is the first MVRHS student to win an award from the Photo Imaging Education Association (PIEA). Her entry in the 2010 photo competition will be included in one of two PIEA international traveling photo exhibits displayed over the next three years at major conventions, schools, colleges and museums in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and Canada.
Underground house design by Clarissa Murphy. Click on photo to enlarge.Globe art and writing awards
Several regional high school students also earned top honors in the Boston Globe Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year. These awards, begun in 1950 by a group of Massachusetts art educators working with The Boston Globe, recognize the talents of their students.
Judges selected winners for gold and silver keys and honorable mention awards from 10,500 artwork submissions from students in grades 7-12 from public, private, and parochial schools in Massachusetts, according to a Boston Globe living/arts section staff member.
Among the gold key winners are MVRHS seniors Brianna Buchanan for her entire art portfolio and Clarissa Murphy for her underground house design from architecture class.
"Corruption of Time," digital artwork by Vivian Ewing. Click on photo to enlarge.Other gold key winners include junior Evan Eagan and freshman Fionnuala Howell for photography.
Sophomore Caitlin Serpa will receive a silver key for her painting of sliced fruit. Junior Vivian Ewing earned an honorable mention for her digital artwork, as did freshman Olivia Becchio for photography.
Photo by Katherine Smith. Click on photo to enlarge.Gold and silver key recipients will be formally recognized in an awards ceremony on February 14, sponsored by the Boston Globe at John Hancock Hall. The winning student artwork and selected writings will be exhibited at the State Transportation Building from February 1 through March 19.
In addition to individual achievements, the high school's 2009 issue of "Seabreezes" recently received a rank of superior from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) in a program that recognizes excellence in student literary magazines.
In 2009, 425 schools submitted entries. In addition to a superior rating, "Seabreezes" was one of 78 student literary magazines nationwide nominated for NCTE's highest award rank.
Students in the high school's visual arts and English departments produce "Seabreezes" annually, which features outstanding student writing, poetry, photography and artwork. Janelle Fortes and Marlan Sigelman, who graduated last May, were the editors of the winning 2009 issue.
"Lonely," a photo by Hannah Marlin. Click on photo to enlarge.At MVRHS, visual arts includes a wide variety of both traditional art and electronic media semester courses, including drawing and painting, ceramics and crafts, photography and graphics, animation and web design, digital drafting and game design, architecture, fashion and yearbook design.
A new film and video after-school club was launched on Monday in partnership with MVTV and the Martha's Vineyard Film Society.
Mr. Brissette said that every year 8 to 12 seniors who graduate from MVRHS go on to major in art, design, or communications in college.
"Masks Off," a photo by Olivia Becchio. Click on photo to enlarge.
"Among the Pebbles," a photo by Fionnuala Howell. Click on photo to enlarge.
"Gunpowder Treason," a photo by Evan Eagan. Click on photo to enlarge.
