CRESTVIEW — Lakesha Marion is an award-winning artist, having placed fourth at the Okaloosa County School District art show in April for her watercolor of water lilies.
So she knows good art.
“It’s all awesome!” the 10-year-old said while viewing Crestview High School’s art show during the May 17 artists’ reception.
The Walker Elementary School third-grader said she hopes to study art when she reaches Crestview High. But without middle school visual arts classes, teachers say some students face challenges when they enter high school.
PHOTOS: View photos from the Crestview High School art show>>
Many budding art students sometimes arrive bringing habits picked up while dabbling in art on their own.
“They get a little bit of exposure (to art education) in elementary school and that’s all they get until they come here,” Crestview High art teacher Alex Pottinger said.
“So many of them come in and they’ve been drawing animé as their own style,” teacher Lori Phillips said. “They don’t want to try the structure we’re trying to teach. Some of my students in Art 2 will be trying to do portraits but they still draw the cartoon eyes they’ve been drawing all these years.”
Artworks in a variety of media were displayed in the Crestview Public Library during the high school art show, with best-of-show trophies awarded in 2-dimensional and 3-dimension categories.
Rising sophomore Melea Stokes — who won Best of Show in the 3D category — plans to further her art education.
“I think the deadline inspired me most,” Melea said, laughing, when describing the inspiration behind her winning piece, a ceramic turtle titled “Chelona.”
The 2D Best in Show winner, senior Hannah Jacobson, plans to continue her art studies at Florida State University in the fall, maybe to become an art teacher herself.
Hannah won for a series of 12 acrylic paintings called “Faces of the People.” Previously passionate about 3D works, “this is my first year doing 2D stuff,” she said.
Hannah said underclassmen like Melea will be in good hands as they continue their studies under Phillips and Pottinger.
“I think they’re the best art teachers,” Hannah said. “They’ve both been amazing. They give us a lot of leeway on what we can do.”
Hannah’s dad, Steve Jacobson, said he encourages his daughter to pursue her artistic dreams.
“I worry how she’s going to make any money, but you have to follow your passions,” he said.
“My mom never forgave me for not becoming a lawyer.”
Art 1:
●Taylor Ducharme, 1st
●Hannah Jacobson, 2nd
●Hannah Jacobson, 3rd
●Monet Cisneros, 3rd
●Bethany Davis, Honorable Mention
●Spencer Peugh, HM
Art 2 Drawing:
●Eva Stetler, 1st oil pastel
●Eva Stetler, 2nd charcoal
●Eva Stetler, 3rd scratchboard
●Savannah Clay, HM charcoal
Art 2 Painting:
●Bailey Hall, 1st ink wash
●Bailey Hall, 1st acrylic
●Julia Jaworski, 2nd watercolor
●Lauren Baswell, 2nd acrylic
●Lauren Baswell, 3rd ink wash
●Kayla Baggett, 3rd acrylic
●Eva Stetler, HM watercolor
●Eva Stetler, HM acrylic
Art 2 Collage:
●Jordyn Redman, 1st
●Eva Stetler, 2nd
●Charlotte Sherwood, 3rd
●Hannah Boudreaux, HM
Art 2 Pottery:
●Ivy Hoyt, 1st
●Victoria Clark, 1st
●Isaac Conrad, 1st
●Melea Stokes, 2nd
●Haley Skidmore, 2nd
●Sara Curdy, 2nd
●Jada Ladner, 3rd
●Taina Sanchez, 3rd
●M-Kyla Bleakney, 3rd
●Haley Skidmore, HM
●Josh Cantwell, HM
Photography:
●Jenna Thorn, 1st
●Alexis Brannin, 2nd
●Erika Newland, 3rd
AP Portfolios:
●Jeremy Matthews, 1st
●Hannah Jacobson, 1st
●Jeremy Matthews, 2nd
●Hannah Jacobson, 2nd
●Kristin Bartosik, 2nd
●Hannah Jacobson, 3rd
●Hannah Jacobson, 3rd
●Jeremy Matthews, HM
●Jeremy Matthews, HM
●M-Kyla Bleakney, HM
Best in show:
●2D, Hannah Jacobson
●3D, Melea Stokes
In addition to winnings at the annual school art show May 17, these CHS students won in April Okaloosa County competition:
Superlative Award for 3D Work: Savannah Clay
Colored Pencil:
●1st, Jeremy Matthews
●3rd, Jeremy Matthews
●3rd, Hannah Jacobson
●Honorable Mention: Gabriela Barr
Charcoal:
●1st, Savannah Clay
●HM: Eva Stetler
Oil Pastel:
●1st, Jeremy Matthews
●1st, Eva Stetler
●HM: Mia Miller
Scratchboard:
●1st, Jeremy Matthews
●2nd, Jordyn Redman
●3rd, Hannah Boudreaux
Marker:
●1st, Jeremy Matthews
●2nd, Hannah Jacobson
Mixed Media Drawing:
●2nd, Alexis Brannin
●3rd, Jordyn Redman
Acrylic:
●HM: Kristin Bartosik
●HM: Robin Burke
●HM: Kayla Baggett
Tempera:
●3rd, Spencer Peugh
●3rd, Isabel Suero
Ink Wash:
●1st, Lauren Baswell
●2nd, Emily Holland
●3rd, Bailey Hall
●HM: Jordyn Redman
●HM: Madelyn Farris
●HM: Eva Stetler
Mixed Media Painting:
●HM, Alexis Brannin
Miscellaneous:
●1st, Savannah Clay
Miscellaneous/Textile:
●1st, Emily Keiffer
Collage/Paper:
●2nd, Charlotte Sherwood
●3rd, Rachel Simon
●HM: Hannah Boudreaux
●HM: Jazmyn Little
Printmaking:
●3rd, Hannah Jacobson
Photography:
●1st, Isiah Franco
●HM: Jenna Thorn
Wheel-Thrown Pottery:
●1st, Sara Curdy
●1st, Savannah Clay
●3rd, Sara Curdy
●3rd, Sara Curdy
●HM: Sara Curdy
Hand-Built Pottery:
●1st, Josh Cantwell
●1st, Melea Stokes
●2nd, Zala Weappa
●2nd, Meredith Ingram
●3rd, Taegan Farrar
●3rd, Tiana Sanchez
●3rd, Macey Kervin
●HM: Katelyn Bialorucki
●HM: Alyssa Canlas
●HM: Chelsey Stephens
●HM: Meghan Dietz
●HM: Meredith Ingram
Sculpture Clay:
●3rd, Haley Skidmore
●HM: Triston Carney
●HM: Melea Stokes
●HM: Mya Hobbs
●HM: M-Kyla Bleakney
●HM: Douglas Black
●HM: Janai Swain
Painted 3D Objects:
●1st, Lauren Baswell
●2nd, Julia Jaworski
CRESTVIEW HIGH ART SHOW WINNERS
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Lack of middle school art programs affects Crestview High students, teachers say (PHOTOS)