Hinsdale South Art Students Receive National, State Awards

Submitted by Hinsdale Township High School District 86. Image via Illinois State Board of Education.

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers selected two Hinsdale South High School students as recipients of the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Senior Jessa Mae Mendiola won a national gold medal for her painting entitled “Outgrowth” and senior Jimmy O’Connor won a national silver medal for his piece entitled “Music for Trees” in the ceramics and glass category.

According to the Alliance, more than 300,000 works of art and writing were submitted for review at the regional level in 28 categories. All national award-winning high school seniors gain access to a scholarship pool of more than $10 million. All submissions are judged based on the program’s three criteria: originality, technical skill and emergence of personal vision or voice. Student works are first adjudicated regionally through the more than 100 local affiliates, with regional winners receiving Gold Keys, Silver Keys, honorable mentions or American Visions and Voices nominations.

Gold Key-winning works are then judged nationally by a panel of creative industry experts to receive Gold, Silver, American Visions and Voices, Portfolio Silver with Distinction or Portfolio Gold Medals. This program year, more than 1,900 talented teens from 47 U.S. states, Washington D.C. and American schools abroad received national recognition and gained access to exhibition and publication opportunities as well as scholarships. Jurors this year included artist Andres Serrano, poet Nikki Giovanni, Warhol Museum Director Eric Shiner, artist Wangechi Mutu and comic artist Dash Shaw.

A full list of 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards national medalists is available atwww.artandwriting.org/2015NationalMedalists

In addition to this honor, Jessa Mae Mendiola was also selected to appear on the 2015 Arts Education Week poster. She is joined by sophomore Becca Timko, who received a third place award in this competition. The theme of this year’s poster is “Art is Timeless.”

The Illinois Art Education Association (IAEA) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) issue the poster to all Illinois schools to celebrate Arts Education Week traditionally held the third week in March. The winner will receive recognition at the 67th annual IAEA Fall Conference to be held November 5-7 in Lisle. As the first-place winner, Jessa Mae will be honored at a State Board of Education meeting and a framed poster will be displayed in the Board Room in Springfield. The poster is sent to all schools in Illinois.

Click here to see the top three posters in the state competition.