More than 90 students faced off recently at Innovations, an annual high school art competition held at the University of Science and Arts. Students from high schools around the state competed in the art competition held exclusively for high school juniors and seniors.

 

Judges Layne Thrift, assistant professor of art and director of the Nesbitt Gallery; Steve Brown, professor of art; Kent Lamar, professor of art; and Jacquelyn Knapp, associate professor of art, assessed 190 entries in order to assign 19 awards of merit, 10 judge’s choice awards and one award for best in show.

 

This year’s Best in Show prize was awarded to Alexis Brown of Verden for her colored pencil drawing entitled, “Owl-ways & Forever.”

 

Knapp said “Owl-ways” stood out as a winner because, “the colored pencil owl was small in dimension but spoke volumes in terms of organic design, originality and overall magnetism.  The artist used the space effectively and handled the medium masterfully.”

 

The awards, which were given out March 18 in a ceremony held in the Third Floor Gallery at USAO, featured work submitted from 13 different schools. Judges’ choice winners were awarded $50. The Best in Show award is $100.

 

“Art entered into Innovations 2013 displays a great deal of talent by High school students across the state,” Knapp observed.

“The USAO art department is proud to offer this opportunity for students to make connections with the art faculty and to become familiar with the art program at USAO.”

 

The winners for Innovations 2013 were as follows:

 

Best In Show

Verden- Alexis Brown

 

Judges’ Choice

Bethel – Haley Depel, Julia Lindsay

Chickasha – Kaydee King, Shelby Sanders

Elgin – Beau Murphy

Lindsay – Anna Fernow

Mustang – Alexandra Espinoza, Nga Nguyen

Northwest Classen – Leo Corbett

Tuttle – Samantha Schaekel

 

Awards of Merit

Apache – Chase Sapcutt

Bethel – Chase Brum, Haley Depel, Julia Lindsay

Chickasha – Monica Barrera, Dakota Bradford, Colt Ferguson, Jeremy Kile, Kaydee King

Dibble – Matt Upton

Elgin – Chloe Mote, Haleigh Watson, Tyler Ray

Lindsay – Anna Fernow

Mustang – Marie Birnbaum, Trevor Deuel, Nga Nguyen, Christine Thomas

Verden – Austin Patterson

Tuttle – Jordan Calbat, Brittni Hodges

Watts – Mary Espitia

Wayne – Courtney Kinney

Wynnewood – Sarah Tate