Asheville School students earn 24 WNC scholastic art awards

Twelve Asheville School students have garnered a total of 24 awards in the 2018 Western North Carolina Regional Scholastic Art Awards.

Every year, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards pair with organizations around the United States to recognize talented student artists in regional and national competitions. The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards were established in 1923, and according to their website, "are the nation's longest running, most prestigious visual and literary arts program recognizing creative accomplishments of students in grades 7-12."

Awards are given in three primary categories: Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention. All Gold Key winning pieces are sent to New York, where they are considered for national Scholastic Awards. According to the Asheville Art Museum, who manages the WNC awards, judges selected 256 artworks for recognition out of nearly 730 total entries made this year.

Claire Hill '19 earned a Gold Key Award for her sculpture, "Water is Life;" Tori Kim '19 earned a Gold Key Award for her drawing and illustration, "Deep Blue Sea;" and David Zheng '18 earned a Gold Key Award for his art portfolio, "Beyond the Faces."

Hannah Chay '19 earned a Silver Key Award for her mixed media piece, "Social Media Silences;" Tori Kim '19 earned a Silver Key Award for her drawing and illustration, "Me?;" Ivana Xu '18 earned a Silver Key for her painting, "Waiting;" and Grayson Sword '19 earned two Silver Key Awards for her ceramic pieces, "Passion's Edge" and "Electric Blossom."

Peyton Campbell '18, Heather Capps '18, Erin Chung '20, Audrey Gee '19, Kamryn Graham '19, Tori Kim '19, Toma Nikotina '18, Ivana Xu '18, and David Zheng '18 all earned honorable mentions for their work.

Asheville School Art Instructor Casey Arbor is proud of her students' work. "I am constantly impressed with the creative solutions my students incorporate in their artwork," she said. "The artwork that earned recognition this year is a great balance of tight craftsmanship and thoughtful content. Congratulations, Asheville School artists!"

Gold Key and Silver Key award-winning pieces will hang in the Asheville Art Museum Gallery On The Slope from January 27 through March 4. Award winning students will be recognized in the Regional Art Awards Ceremony at the Diana Wortham Theatre on Sunday, February 25.

Asheville School is a nationally acclaimed co-ed, college preparatory boarding and day school for students in grades 9 through 12. The 288 students enrolled at Asheville School represent 21 states and 14 countries. Recent graduates have been accepted to Amherst, Columbia, Davidson, Duke, Elon, Emory, Furman, Georgetown, Harvard, NC State, Rhodes, Sewanee, UNC-Chapel Hill, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, William & Mary, WashU, Wofford, and Yale among others.