CK Students Earn Regional Medals at Scholastic Art and Writing Awards

Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art Writing Awards celebrate the creative and artistic lives of students in grades 7 through 12, awarding honors to students who show exceptional proficiency in a variety of visual and literary art forms. Schools throughout the United States, Canada, and American schools abroad annually submit over 150,000 works of student artwork and writing for evaluation by professionals, educators, and scholars of the fine arts. It is from this large body of submissions that these students and their works have been selected.

Yu “Celine” Chou, senior, received a gold medal in the Photography category. Her creativity is inspired by the relationship between the audience and the scene. Her current portfolio project explores the topic of “photos within photos.” To explore this relationship between person and place by using the phone in camera mode, through which the audience can see the landscape in sharp focus. The background is out of focus but still provides direct view of the landscape itself, without the phone mediating. The point is, as we see the world increasingly through technology, it is easy to lose sight of reality. Her photographs not only capture the moment of beauty, but encourage the audience to ponder the deeper meaning of how they see the world.

Michel Faliski, senior, also won a gold medal in the Photography category. Her work is influenced by National Geographic photography and personal observations. Framing and point of view are key elements that distinguish her work from others. Her recent photographs have involved issues of identity and place as source for exploration. Her natural ability to frame the subject reveals her personal vision. In her photograph “Our Deepest Fear” she layers text over her self-portrait creating the illusion of space and depth, not only visually but psychologically.

Arlo Goldman, senior, joins Yu and Michel as a gold medalist in the Photography category. His submission features urban signage and setting, which he came across in Detroit. The landscape of Detroit is one where past and present intersect. To make this series of photographs, Arlo Goldman went out aiming to capture communities and where they once were, and became inspired by the vernacular signage.

Sam Slocum, senior, earned a gold medal in the Drawing category. For his submission “Spatial Constructs,” Sam was especially interested in drawing and taking a conceptual approach. He began by considering how he could simplifying his materials and using drawing for its immediacy, express ideas about movement and space. While he was interested in several themes while preparing for his work, he always maintained the initial constraints in order to develop his ideas.

Mirei “Mimi” Yamamoto received a gold medal for her submission, which is featured in the Best in Show Portfolio “Line and Light.” She has created a series of work that’s been described as “timeless,” meaning these could have been made 100 years ago or this year. This work carries a sense of completion from point to point.

Congratulations to our Regional Art and Writing Award recipients!