Scholastic arts competition honors nearly 200 Utica students

Nearly honors 200 top honors were awarded to Utica Community Schools students through the annual Scholastic Arts competition, including two of the top five awards in the program and an additional 13 students earning the highest level for their entire portfolios.

The competition, a program that honors the best in student-produced art, gave more than 40 percent of its awards to UCS students through a regional competition featuring high schools in the Michigan Thumb region.

“Our fine arts students and teachers continue to be recognized for creativity, dedication and incredible talent,” Superintendent Dr. Christine Johns. “The UCS Fine Arts program represents our district with award winning work in shows and displays throughout the region, state and nation.”

The regional Macomb, St. Clair and Lapeer program received more than 2,600 works of art. Professional artists, with the assistance of volunteer art teachers, selected pieces for Certificates, Silver and Gold Key Awards, American Vision nominations and Best of Show Portfolios.

The American Vision Award winners are chosen as the “Best of Show” from all of the artwork entered in this year’s Michigan Thumb Regional competition. Of the five American Visions awards from the entire Thumb area, two UCS high school students were honored: Bryanna Ankawi and Carla Villalvazo, of Eisenhower High School.

Ankawi was honored for her photography portfolio “Deep in Thought”; Villalvazo was honored for her portfolio “Forget Me Not.”

These artists will represent the region on the national level as American Vision nominees.

In addition, the following students earned Gold Key awards for their portfolios:

• Brianna Atkinson, “My Life” - Henry Ford II High School

• Lewis Page and Luckas Caldas, “City Canvas” - Eisenhower High School
• Gabriella Caldwell, “Color Pop” – Eisenhower High School
• Gabriel Consiglio, “Superbloom: Challenging the Image of Modern Masculinity” - Utica Academy International Studies
• Sydney Coutilish, “The Machine” - Henry Ford II High School
• Stefanie Frontera, “Imagination” - Eisenhower High School
• Albana Grajqevci, “Community & Culture” - Eisenhower High School
• Matthew King, “Moments Suspended in Time” - Henry Ford II High School
• Logan Poe, “Modern Masculinity” – Eisenhower High School
• Erin Ryder, “Urban Adventure” – Stevenson High School
• Annabella Steiniger, “Beauty of Life” – Henry Ford II High School
• Lauren Vermeulen, “CONCEPTS Realized” – Eisenhower High School
• Toni Wilk, “A New Light” – Henry Ford II High School

In addition, judges awarded approximately 80 gold, silver, bronze and honorable mention honors for individual entries.

UCS secondary art teachers are Cara Bay of Bemis Junior High School; Gail Borowski of Davis Junior High School; Josephine Braun, Nancy Druia and Jennifer Ramirez of Eisenhower High School; Emily Ottaviano of Eppler Junior High School; Joe Elliott, Amy May and Marc Palombo of Henry Ford II High School; Jennifer Talbot of Heritage Junior High School; Joseph Acker of Jeannette Junior High School; Kristine Cooper and Sara Palombo of Malow Junior High School; Chris Brunson, Lisa Grunewald and Marsha Sevek of Shelby Junior High School; Patti Fields of Stevenson High School; Megan Berry of Stevenson High School and Utica Center for Science and Industry; Joy Khan of Utica Academy for International Studies and Utica Center for Science and Industry; Michael Allore of the Utica Center for Science and Industry; Jennifer Allore and Joshua Etheridge of Utica High School.

Macomb Community College's Lorenzo Cultural Center will feature these works Jan. 30 through March 13.

Students who earn American Vision nominations and gold key will participate in the national Scholastic Arts competition in New York.

Below are the individual winners for this year's program:

Individual Categories

Stevenson High School

Jessica Culverhouse Gold Key Photography

Jessica Culverhouse Silver Key Photography

Madalyn Czarski Silver Key Painting

Madalyn Czarski Honorable Mention Drawing

Madalyn Czarski Honorable Mention Drawing

Hailey Kasper Honorable Mention Photography

Andrew Schwesinger Silver Key Drawing

Andrew Schwesinger Silver Key Drawing

Andrew Schwesinger Silver Key Drawing

Hayli Szych Gold Key Photography

Sarah Tieman Gold Key Photography

Cheyene Wagner Honorable Mention Digital Art

Kristina Webb Silver Key Photography

Kristina Webb Honorable Mention Photography

Racquel Williams Silver Key Drawing

Joslyn Yabut Silver Key Digital Art

Joslyn Yabut Honorable Mention Photography

Davis Junior High School

Teacher: Gail Borowski

Lindsay Lewis Honorable Mention Photography

Maya Meek Honorable Mention Painting

Dwight D Eisenhower High School

Riya Aggarwal Honorable Mention Printmaking

Bryanna Ankawi Gold Key Photography

Gabriella Caldwell Silver Key Photography

Jack Cooper Gold Key Digital Art

Jack Cooper Honorable Mention Digital

Art Jack Cooper Honorable Mention Drawing

Albana Grajqevci Silver Key Photography

Albana Grajqevci Honorable Mention Photography

Albana Grajqevci Honorable Mention Photography

Lara Ilham Honorable Mention Sculpture

Alexis Ladson Honorable Mention Ceramics & Glass

Vincent Lee Silver Key Painting

Abigail Maier Honorable Mention Mixed Media

Jennifer Moya Silver Key Drawing

Emily Oumelaz Gold Key Ceramics & Glass

Logan Poe Gold Key Photography

Logan Poe Silver Key Photography

Logan Poe Honorable Mention Photography

Logan Poe Honorable Mention Photography

Logan Poe Honorable Mention Photography

Kassandra Renteria Silver Key Ceramics & Glass

Nicole Sands Honorable Mention Drawing

Marcela Sifuentes Honorable Mention Editorial Cartoon Marcela Sifuentes Honorable Mention Drawing

Allison Soffa Gold Key Ceramics & Glass

Madison Turedi Honorable Mention Photography

Lauren Vermeulen Silver Key Digital Art

Lauren Vermeulen Honorable Mention Digital Art

Carla Villalvazo Gold Key Digital Art

Carla Villalvazo Gold Key Drawing

Carla Villalvazo Silver Key Drawing

Carla Villalvazo Silver Key Drawing Carla Villalvazo Silver Key Drawing

Carla Villalvazo Silver Key Digital Art

Carla Villalvazo Silver Key Drawing

Carla Villalvazo Honorable Mention Drawing

Abigail Visnaw Gold Key Jewelry

Melissa Whipple Gold Key Painting Abigail Wittwer Honorable Mention Photography

Abigail Wittwer Honorable Mention Photography

Eppler Junior High School

Rivera Arkan Gold Key Photography

Rivera Arkan Gold Key Photography

Katelyn Beauvais Honorable Mention Drawing Hannah Culbreath Honorable Mention Photography

Austin Fertik Silver Key Photography

Sophia Grimaldi Silver Key Photography

Sophia Grimaldi Honorable Mention Photography

Brooke Kessen Honorable Mention Photography

Cordelia Kraus Gold Key Drawing

Kadia Kustarz Gold Key Photography

Kadia Kustarz Gold Key Photography

Kadia Kustarz Silver Key Photography

Elizabeth Mulvaine Silver Key Photography

Andrew Munya Honorable Mention Drawing

Madeline Riggs Gold Key Photography

Makenna Riggs Honorable Mention Photography

Máire Snyder Silver Key Digital Art

Sofia Stout Gold Key Photography

Avery Urban Gold Key Photography

Avery Urban Silver Key Photography

Wiktoria Zaremba Silver Key Drawing

Henry Ford II High School

Kyra Albrecht Honorable Mention Sculpture

Brianna Atkinson Honorable Mention Photography

Madelyn Bandy Honorable Mention Drawing

Megan Barney Gold Key Drawing

Megan Barney Honorable Mention Drawing

Ana Chauvin Gold Key Drawing

Ana Chauvin Silver Key Photography

Ana Chauvin Silver Key Photography

Ana Chauvin Honorable Mention Photography

Sydney Coutilish Gold Key Photography

Sydney Coutilish Silver Key Photography

Sydney Coutilish Silver Key Drawing

Emily Leix Gold Key Drawing

Emily Leix Gold Key Drawing

Paulina Pulawska Silver Key Painting

Paulina Pulawska Honorable Mention

Photography Kaden Rucinski Honorable Mention Photography

Alyssa Sorenson Silver Key Drawing

Alyssa Sorenson Honorable Mention Drawing

Annabella Steiniger Gold Key Photography

Annabella Steiniger Silver Key Photography

Annabella Steiniger Honorable Mention Photography

Alexa Sweet Silver Key Drawing

Katelyn Swope Silver Key Drawing

Richard Tharrett Gold Key Film & Animation

Jeannette Junior High School

Olivia Beckman Gold Key Drawing

Abheet Bhugra Gold Key Photography

Nathan Boldt Gold Key Drawing

Ella Cavallaro Silver Key Photography

Mena Murrani Gold Key Photography

Madalyn Sesi Gold Key Photography

Maria Wegrzyn Silver Key Photography

Malow Junior High School

Magdalena Considine Honorable Mention Photography

Sofia Hemingway Honorable Mention Drawing

Faariah Imtiaz Honorable Mention Drawing

Shelby Junior High School

Riley Binfet Honorable Mention Photography

Caterina Biundo Silver Key Photography

Mia Doncic Gold Key Photography

Christian Evans Silver Key Photography

Anthony Fabian Silver Key Photography

Amela Halkic Honorable Mention Photography

Charlotte Hall Gold Key Sculpture

Charlotte Hall Silver Key Painting

Charlotte Hall Silver Key Drawing

Kimberly Hartley Silver Key Photography

Katelyn Hebel Gold Key Photography

Sarah Ko Gold Key Photography

Sarah Ko Silver Key Photography

Sarah Ko Honorable Mention Photography

Sarah Ko Honorable Mention Photography Monica Laszczkowski Honorable Mention Photography

Cassidy Lease Honorable Mention Photography

Jacob Lewis Honorable Mention Sculpture

Jack Mahoney Honorable Mention Photography

Samantha Merecki Silver Key Photography

Vito Palazzolo Silver Key Digital Art

Samantha Quartuccio Silver Key Photography

Briana Rowoldt Honorable Mention Photography

Macy Spevacek Gold Key Digital Art

Macy Spevacek Honorable Mention Photography

Ella Ward Gold Key Photography

Ella Ward Honorable Mention Photography

Isabella Wetzel Silver Key Photography

Utica Academy International Studies, Sterling Heights

Gabriel Consiglio Gold Key Fashion

Gabriel Consiglio Silver Key Fashion

Gabriel Consiglio Honorable Mention Ceramics & Glass

Utica Center for Science and Industry

Morgan Jensen Honorable Mention Film & Animation

Utica High School, Shelby Township

Teachers: Jennifer Allore, Joshua Etheridge

Jessica Capanda Honorable Mention Painting

Katie Daiek Gold Key Printmaking

Katie Daiek Honorable Mention Painting

Katie Daiek Honorable Mention Painting

Christina D'Alessandro Honorable Mention Photography Evelyn Decker Honorable Mention Painting

McKenzie DeLaere Gold Key Photography

Hanna Gehrke Gold Key Painting

Hanna Gehrke Silver Key Printmaking

Hanna Gehrke Silver Key Painting

Hanna Gehrke Silver Key Photography

Marcella Gibson Silver Key Mixed Media

Marcella Gibson Honorable Mention Painting

Rorry Gilkinson Gold Key Sculpture

Darby Gilkinson Honorable Mention Sculpture

Marina Gojcaj Honorable Mention Drawing

Lillian Haydon Gold Key Digital Art

Lillian Haydon Silver Key Digital Art

Savannah Jodway Silver Key Photography

Savannah Jodway Honorable Mention Photography

Haley Kelly Silver Key Digital Art

Haley Kelly Silver Key Photography

Haley Kelly Honorable Mention Photography

Madison Lockaby Gold Key Photography

Madison Lockaby Gold Key Photography

Emily Maze Silver Key Mixed Media

Hailey McIntosh-Russo Silver Key Photography

Brandy Paton Gold Key Sculpture

Brandy Paton Silver Key Sculpture

Alexa Patru Silver Key Photography

Alexa Patru Honorable Mention Photography

Megan Pawenski Gold Key Sculpture

Megan Pawenski Silver Key Photography

Ellie Peplinski Honorable Mention Photography

Savannah Rue Honorable Mention Photography

Elizabeth Schroeder Silver Key Photography

Logan Schultz Honorable Mention Photography

Annalise Trenkamp Honorable Mention Photography

Nina Vuong Gold Key Photography

Kimberly Wagner Honorable Mention Digital Art

Evan Zack Silver Key

Drawing Riley Zuzga Gold Key Drawing

Riley Zuzga Gold Key Painting

Riley Zuzga Silver Key Mixed Media

Source: Utica Community Schools

Dr. Christine Johns, Superintendent of Schools

Http://www.uticak12.org