Winners announced in 47th annual regional high school art show

WENATCHEE — The Mission Street Gallery filled with color, sculpture and photography this week as the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center unveiled the winners of its 47th Annual Regional High School Art Show, a long-running exhibition highlighting the work of student artists from across North Central Washington.

This year’s show features 125 pieces submitted by students from 16 high schools throughout the region, ranging from charcoal drawings and oil paintings to digital illustration, ceramics and mixed media installations.

The exhibit opened March 6 and will remain on display through April 11, giving visitors several weeks to explore the student work selected by a panel of regional judges.

Judges for this year’s show included retired art teacher Marnie Harris, local artist Martha Flores and Central Washington University art professor Gregg Schlanger. Submissions were evaluated using statewide criteria established by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, focusing on creativity, composition and technique.

Fifteen works were selected as Best of Show, advancing to the Annual Superintendent’s High School Art Show in Olympia, which will be held virtually May 14. Students advancing from local schools include Phaedra Myers and Renn Pobst of Cascade High School; Hudson Blackburn, Brenda Carrillo-Esquivel and Sophia Marron of Cashmere High School; Gabbi Benson of Chelan High School; and Taylor Arce, Isabel Harris, Jose Pedraza and James Priest of Wenatchee High School.

Category awards were also presented across six disciplines — drawing, painting, mixed media, photography, three-dimensional art and digital media. First-place winners included Faitima Alvarado of Quincy High School (drawing), Lauren McLaughlin of Wenatchee High School (painting), Hailey J. Smart of Okanogan High School (mixed media), Blake Hernandez of Brewster High School (photography), Lexi Wilson of Quincy High School (three-dimensional art) and Kaydence Camren of Liberty Bell High School (digital media).

The gallery opening is paired with the museum’s Beauty of Bronze showcase, which features bronze sculptures created by local fifth-grade students as part of the museum’s long-running arts education program.

An awards ceremony and reception will be held March 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Mission Street Gallery, where students will be recognized for their work and several will receive scholarships from Central Washington University.

The annual exhibition is organized in partnership with the North Central Educational Service District, the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and Central Washington University, with additional support from the cities of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media