National art honors awarded to six Utica Community Schools students

Six Utica Community Schools students recently were honored nationally for excellence in the visual arts, including one earning the competition’s top award.
Jessica Matthes, of Eisenhower High School, earned a National Ameican Visions Media for her sculpture “misperception.”
As an American Visions winner, Matthes has had her work ranked among the top one percent of the more than 300,000 works entered in this year's competition. Her teacher is
Also earning a top award was Maria Chodnicki, of Eisenhower High School, who earned a national gold medal for “Sky of Colors.” Her teachers is Josephine Braun and Nancy Druia.
Four Utica Community Schools students also earned silver medals in the competition:

• Kaley Brenizer, of Utica High School, in photography for “Arachnophobia.” Her teacher is Joshua Etheridge.
• Emma Heidrich, of the Utica Center for Science and Industry, in photography for “Cheimaphobia.” Her teacher is Michael Allore.
• Mason Palicke, of Utica High School, in drawing for “Blurry White Writer.” His teacher is Jennifer Allore.
• Drew Verellen, of Shelby Junior High School, in photography for “Lost in Space.” His teachers are Nicole Freeman and Lisa Grunewald

The students will be honored with other national winners at a June 2 ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Students entered the national competition after earning Scholastic Arts Awards regional honors. This year, more than 150 honors were awarded to Utica Community Schools students at the regional competition.
Nationally, more than 330,000 works of art and writing were entered in the 2017 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Source: Utica Community Schools

Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of Schools

http://www.uticak12.org