Cashmere High School artists shine at regional art showcase

CASHMERE – Cashmere High School art students had an impressive showing at the 45th Annual Regional High School Art Show in March.

Five of the 15 art pieces moving on to the state show are by Cashmere students. They won a good portion of the category awards, and two students were awarded Central Washington University tuition waiver scholarships.

"Essentially, it was kind of a good surprise or a reminder that we're doing some pretty good things in here just to see all that nice work up on the wall and framed and then to have it recognized by judges," CHS art instructor Alan Pace said.

"It's good for our school and it's good for me and definitely good for the students to see that you know the work they put in was appreciated and valued by people that know a lot about art," he said.

CHS had 29 entries at the Regional Art Show. The juried show was open to all High Schools in the North Central Educational Service District and had over 200 entries. 

"I thought we did pretty well, although in some of the cases, there's certain pieces of ours that won and other ones that didn't, that you know, it's a little surprising," he said. "And there's pieces from other schools that I thought were really pretty cool that maybe didn't win anything. That's just how it goes with art." 

"I knew we would probably have a pretty strong showing when we submitted stuff because I had easily twice as much high-quality art as I normally would," he said.

Pace said that is because he has had a lot of talented and or motivated students in the last couple of years. 

The stated criteria for the competition fall into three categories: creativity, technique, and composition. So, he advises his students to focus on those elements.

Jurors chose from pieces submitted by students from 11 North Central Washington schools. The "Best of Show" selections advanced to the statewide competition in Olympia. 

This year's judges for the Regional Awards were Lindsay Breidenthal, a Wenatchee artist and NCW Arts Alliance board member; Ellen Bruex, a Wenatchee artist and Wenatchee Valley College art teacher; and Gregg Schlanger, Chair of the Department of Art and Design at Central Washington University. 

The judges carefully evaluated each entry, and student names and schools were kept secret throughout the process. 

"We had a lot of kids that won," he said. "I would say there were several pieces that didn't win anything that also, easily could have won awards in another show, but you know, art can be really subjective. And you have three jurors, and they kind of like what they like."

The show is made possible each year through the sponsorship of the North Central Educational Service District and partnership with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Entries are on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum through April 6. Regional Awards were presented to the winners on Saturday, March 16.

Awards are as follows.

Best of Show: These 15 works will move on to the State Show in Olympia

Ethan Flansburg from Cascade High School for “My World”

Savannah Hamilton from Cashmere High School for “Morning Bus Ride”

Kimberly Strong from Cashmere High School for “Denim Debut”

Mykla Smith from Cashmere High School for “Spring Ride”

Maite Madsen from Cashmere High School for “Fido”

Saige O’Keefe from Cashmere High School for “Homecoming Blues”

Devon Cervine from Eastmont High School for “Douglas Creek”

Mariah Spencer from Okanogan School for “Just A Mutton Buster”

Lexi Vargas from Pateros High School for “Recycled Ocean”

Clara Hawkins from Tonasket High School for “10th Grade Wrestler”

Katherine Bertschy from Wenatchee High School for “Ideas: The Matrix Of The Heart”

Josh Jacobs from Wenatchee High School for “The Claw”

Matias Soto from Wenatchee High School for “Fear Me Not”

Ruby Koski from Wenatchee High School for “Gills In Color”

Oscar Lopez from Wenatchee High School for “Staring Pretentiousness Right In The Eye”

Category winners:

Drawing

1st Place: Maurice Brown from Eastmont High School for “Mette Linturi”

2nd Place: Kimberly Strong from Cashmere High School for “Looking Glass”

3rd Place: Jada Wood from Cashmere High School for “Dreamscape”

Painting

1st Place: Naomi Corbaley from Cashmere High School for “Radicoon”

2nd Place: Quinn Pace from Cashmere High School for “Cozy With Color”

3rd Place: Lexi Ann Vargas from Pateros High School for “Peanut”

Mixed Media

1st Place: Nova Reed from Okanogan High School for “Ring”

2nd Place: Jesus Gonzalez Gutierrez from Wenatchee High School for “Beth O’Daimhim”

3rd Place: Madelyn Rudolph from Wenatchee High School for “My Eyes Are Annotated”

Photography

1st Place: Antonio Godinez-Martinez from Bridgeport High School for “Bubbles”

2nd Place: Augustus Ray from Tonasket High School for “Appreciation Of Growth”

3rd Place: Selena Hernandez from Bridgeport High School for “Green Marble”

3-Dimensional

1st Place: Maite Madsen from Cashmere High School for “Self-Lidded Mushroom Pot”

2nd Place: Megan Kassebaum from Wenatchee High School for “Squished #3”

3rd Place: Emma Banker from Wenatchee High School for “The Sea Held In A Vase”

Digital Media

1st Place: Sophie Bolz, Oliver Friedli, Starla Anderson, Jaelynn Burns, Wenatchee HS for “Open Mind”

2nd Place: Sophie Neuman from Wenatchee High School for “Deer Sign”

3rd Place: Ava Morales from Eastmont High School for “Cat Skull and Spider Friends”

Honorable Mentions

Pilar Arriaga Alba from Warden High School for “Landscape”

Erin Irelan from Cashmere High School for “Granville Island”

Leandro Lopez from Cashmere High School for “Beyond the Imaginary of Thoughts” 

NCESD Superintendent’s Award:

Laurel McLaughlin from Wenatchee High School for “Perceiving Light”

CWU Scholarship: The following students will be awarded tuition waivers at Central Washington University. These students were selected by Gregg Schlanger, Dean of Art+Design at CWU.

Mykla Smith - Cashmere High School

Jesus Gonzalez Gutierrez - Wenatchee High School

Maurice Brown - Eastmont High School

Kimberly Strong - Cashmere High School

Lexi Ann Vargas - Pateros High School

Emma Banker - Wenatchee High School

Mariah Spencer - Okanogan High School

Selena Hernandez - Bridgeport High School

Quinn Propst: 509-731-3590 or quinn@ward.media.