Winners Named in the Innovations 2009 Art Competition

More than 100 students faced off recently for an annual high school art competition at the University of Science and Arts. Students from 22 high schools around the state competed in Innovations, an art exhibit held exclusively for high school juniors and seniors.

Alva High School student Megan Schwahn won the Best of Show award for her mixed media "Kindred Spirits." Brook Hoover, an Elgin High School student, received the People's Choice Award.

The USAO art department judged the entries and awarded 30 Awards of Merit, 10 Judges Choice awards and one Best of Show award. The Judges Choice award winners received a $75 cash prize, with a $150 prize going to the Best of Show. The People's Choice Award is based on votes from the viewers of the exhibition. All artists received certificates for their participation.

Each year, students from across the state send in up to three original works of art for the contest. USAO art faculty members display the entries and narrow the show to the top winners.

This year’s entries include works from multiple forms of media, from paintings to sculpture, from drawings to photography and more.

For more information about Innovations, or to schedule an appointment for a scholarship review, call Jacquelyn Knapp at 405-574-1303, or e-mail at facknappj@usao.edu.

Winners in the Judges Choice category include

Bethel Acres -- Jamie Kiest, "The End" (white pencil); Jacob Crouch, "Rock the Boat" (oil); Megan Guderian, "Time" (black pencil)

Enid (Chisholm High School) -- Amy Cox, "Untitled" (acrylic)

Inola -- Stacy Rutherford, "Perception" (Prismacolor)

Oklahoma City (Putnam City West) -- Victoria Korrect, "Laced" (Conté)

Sulphur -- Doug Coker, "the one that fell from the tree" (acrylic); Latisha Smith, "Man in Suit" (scratchboard)

Vanoss -- Ciara Booth, "Unstoppable" (intaglio)

Woodward -- Molly Castor, "Cabbage Field" (photography)

Winners of the Award of Merit include

Alva -- Tesica Starkey, "Fishy Face" (pastel); Travis Lettl, "Mystic Mountains" (painting); Megan Schwahn, "Amphora" (clay) and "Copper Elegance" (clay)

Anadarko -- Michelle Killsfirst, "Letter 'F'" (graphite/color pencil); Matt Spray, "Railroad Crossing" (mixed media)

Apache -- Amber Hathorn, "Fruit Bowl" (oil pencil)

Chickasha -- Anthony Klipp, "Untitled" (mixed media)

Chico, Texas -- D.J. Davidson, "Freedom Flight" (scratchboard)

Cyril -- Zachary Williams, "Zoey" (watercolor/color pencil)

Elgin -- Leina Alvarado, "Discordant" (pastel) and "In My Pocket" (scratchboard)

Elk City -- Chanel Dae Lantz, "Through the Apparent" (charcoal)

Enid (Chisholm High School) -- Sharon Moore, "Ethereal" (acrylic)

Inola -- Cristian Tarango, "Whitman" (intaglio)

Kingfisher -- Paige Myers, "Portrait" (pencil)

Lone Grove -- Brooke Kelty, "Lost in Abduction" (acrylic); Ashley Donham, "Mouth of Death" (acrylic)

Meeker -- Rachel Woods, "Untitled" (color pencil)

Stigler -- Tyler Tucker, "Bob" (oil pastel);

Sulphur -- Chance Wallace, "Spirits" (scratchboard); Cale Freeman, "Orange & a Word that Rhymes" (ink/pastel); Marc Ruhnke, "Lakeview" (watercolor); Kyle Drury, "Untitled #2" (Raku)

Tonkawa -- Bridgett Stearns, "Bridgett" (clay)

Vanoss -- Madison Oliver, "Johnathon" (tempera); Aaryn Lee, "Untitled" (graphite); Dakota Bolin, "322" (mixed media)

Wynnewood -- Shala Welch, "Nevermore" (charcoal); Jordyne Hayes, "Dew Drops & Roses" (colored pencil)