ARHS Gets Globe Scholastic Awards

Each year, school across the state submit works from their students to the reviewers and art critics at the Boston Globe for its Scholastic Art Awards. This year, many took away honors, and a few took away silver and gold keys.

"Just about every high school competes," said Principal Tom Mead, "so just getting a mention there is nice. With a mere three art teachers we produce some very fine art."

Michelle Sheppard, art teacher at ARHS, said that students have been entered in this contest for more than 20 years. The biggest contest of its kind in the state, it's a rich tradition that Sheppard herself participating in as a high school student attending Wachusett Regional in the '90s.

"Compared to Wachusett or Shrewsbury," said Sheppard, "we have fewer art teachers per total number of students. There is a tremendous amount of work generated."

Sheppard said that some of her students are pursuing art in college, but that "art is extremely important for all students, not just ones who will pursue careers or postsecondary studies in it. Art helps our brains form many faculties and thinking habits that enable us to solve problems and live more attentively to our surroundings and the life experience of others."

Below are the winners of this year's Scholastic Art Awards from ARHS.

Olivia Gioriandino — Gold Key in design for "Without a Home"

Samuel Wheeler — Gold Key in design for "Elephant Food"

Laura Bravo — Silver Key in design for "Stan Lee in optima"

Kaitlyn Labich — Silver Key in painting for "Ballet Shoes"

Eliza Malecki — honorable mention in ceramics and glass for "Cupcake" 

Chelsey Thompson — honorable mention in ceramics and glass for "Returning Home"

Erik Fuller — honorable mention in drawing for "1940s Night Scene"

Katherine Meng — honorable mention in painting for "Lost in Translation"

Luke Morrell — honorable mention in painting for "Sea Box" 

Alexa Potenza — Silver Key in photography for "Perspectives"

Melissa Taing — honorable mention for in photography for "Yearn"

Melissa Taing — honorable mention in photography for "Kisses"

Claudia Weaver — honorable mention in photography for "Seeing a Path"

Sam Chase — Gold Key in sculpture for "At Sea"

Kelsey Harvey — honorable mention in sculpture for "The Lovely Tree"