Staff writer
Eight artists from Marion High School participated in the Heart of America league art festival April 4 at Trinity Catholic of Hutchinson, and seven came home with awards.
“It’s an annual showing of the best artists,” MHS art teacher Jim Versch said. “Each school brings a limited number of works and artists.”
The fesitival featured 31 categories of artwork.
“Some of those categories were huge — oil-based paint, water-based paint — while others were limited,” Versch said.
In addition to the competition, students attended workshops in which techniques for doing head sculptures and ceramic decals were demonstrated. The students also visited the Hutchinson Art Center.
Students listened in an assembly as one of the judges talked about several of the pieces entered in the festival, and Versch said comments made about the subjective experience of evaluating art were welcome.
“Some kids can come away from an event like this very frustrated,” Versch said. “But we could take these to a different show and have totally different results.”
Briana Hall took first in water-based painting, and earned merit awards in pencil drawing and 2-D sculpture.
Whitney Christensen placed first in the 2-D collage category and received a merit award for graphic design.
Jessie Taylor collected four awards, second in water-based painting, third in pencil drawing, and merit awards in sculpture and 2-D collage.
Erin Meierhoff scored second-place honors in the photo manipulation and graphic design categories.
Sam Stika placed second in 3-D collage and her pencil drawing received a merit award.
Olivia Young finished third in color photography and received a merit award in sculpture.