Visual Arts
Mid-south Scholastic Art Competition
Congratulations to the following Mid-South Scholastic Art Competition winners from USJ.
• Morgan Galbraith: A gold key on her portfolio and a silver on a photograph
• Olivia Hughes: A gold key on her portfolio
• Ann Elizabeth Lynch: An honorable mention for a drawing and silver key on a photograph
• Sarah Mantooth: A silver key on a photograph
• Katie Robertson An honorable mention for a photograph
• Grant Whitsitt: A gold key on his portfolio, 3 honorable mentions, including one for film and animation, and 3 silver keys
The Gold & Silver Keys will be on display at Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis January 28 through February 12.
The Mid-South Scholastic Art Competition is the largest and most prestigious student art competition in our nation. Our region, which covers all of West Tennessee, part of Mississippi and part of Arkansas, has around 5,000 entries with only 432 being recognized as winners. This year, USJ had 14 of those winning entries.
Trashin' for the Sake of Fashion
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Dress made with coloring books by Jordan Ragon |
Dress made with old phonebook pages by Sara Slack |
One man's trash is another man's treasure. University School of Jackson Upper School Art students are counting on making what some may consider trash into a fashionable design. From trash bags to phone books to solo cups to tires, students are re-using items to turn into runway worthy outfits. This year's theme of "Trashin' Fashion" has led students to get in touch with their environmental sides and include some type of recycled material in their design.
This year's fashion event will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 7, in the Blankenship Theater on the Upper School campus. In addition to the fashion show, the USJ music honor society, Tri-M, will treat the audience to a talent show.
"This is our sixth year to do a student design fashion show and it just gets better each year," said Libby Lynch, Upper School Visual Art Department Chairman. "The idea originated with one of my students who had attended a fashion design camp at Savannah College of Art. We started with t-shirts our first year and now the show and the students have evolved to where this year they are 'recycling' items for their designs. Each year I am continually amazed at the creativity and the talents of our student and the things they are able to do."
In order to keep the assignment fresh for students, Lynch adds a new or different twist to the event each year. This year the students were challenged to use recycling into their designs. Students researched design ideas and elements that could be recycled for their design. In the same manner as a real fashion designer develops a design, students developed design boards of concepts and materials to be used for the project.
Besides doing their part for the environment for the sake of fashion, students will also be competing for prizes based upon the audiences opinion of each design. Audience members can cast their vote for their favorite design by putting their money behind their fashion choice. Votes cost one dollar, and the top design capturing the most votes from the audience will be awarded the top prize. Judges will select first, second and third place honors. All winners will be awarded savings bonds donated by Farmers and Merchants Bank of Bolivar.
Two Advanced Placement Studio Art students, Ashley Nkadi and Ann Elizabeth Lynch, will close the show with the unveiling of their own lines of fashions. Ashley's line features styles based on food,s while Ann Elizabeth's fashions reflect the graceful designs in the Greco-Roman style using hand-dyed silk fabrics.
Students Artwork Recognized at 3rd Annual West TN Regional Student Art Exhibition
Six USJ students received awards at the Fourth Annual West Tennessee Regional Student Art Competition sponsored by the Tennessee Art Education Association. Sixteen Upper and Middle School students submitted a total of 20 pieces of artwork that were judged against students’ work from all over West Tennessee and the Memphis area.
Upper School student, Ashley Nkadi’s “Clay Vessels” won the Best Ceramics award. Eighth grader T.J. Johnson received First Place honors. Honorable Mention awards were given to Upper School students Sara Slack for her sculpture “Call Me – Telephone Pages Dress” and Destini Kramer’s “Water Fountain Reflection.” Middle School students receiving Honorable Mention awards were Zachary West and Renee Bearb.
Other Upper School students submitting work included Jordan Ragon, Chloe Meriwether, Ann Elizabeth Lynch, Andrea Arreaza, Grant Whitsett, Lashlee Randolph, and Olivia Hughes. Middle School students Alannah Yellen, Kylin Snowden, and Nate Schwindt also had work submitted into the competition.
Artwork will be on display at the Regional Art Museum in Humboldt through February 24, 2012. Winning artists will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony from 2-4 p.m. Sunday January 22 at the museum.
