First Place

Ella Grace
mixed media, foam, moss, paper, beads, fabric, wood

by Bryn Laster, a 10th, 11th, 12th Grade student from Whiteland, IN

First Place in the 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade Category is Bryn Laster, a student from Whiteland Community High School, in Whiteland, IN, for “Ella Grace.”

Measuring 17 by 15 by 12 inches, Ella Grace depicts the bust of a happy canine – whom I can only assume must be Ella Grace! Sculpted out of clay, the dog poses for the viewer, floppy ears alert, blue eyes open, and a pink tongue hanging out below a black nose. Most of Ella Grace’s fur is black, except for a white spot that starts at her forehead, traveling down to her snout and around the edges of her nose. Running your hands across her forehead, ears, and cheeks, the viewer can feel the fine lines of fur that depict a dog with longer fur! Likewise, her nose reflects the rough, bumpy texture of a dog, but without the moisture we often feel at the tip of a dog’s nose! This happy canine is ready for a good pet and ear scratch!

Second Place

Freedom
sculpture, found objects

by the Washington State School for the Blind Class, a 10th, 11th, 12th Grade class in Vancouver, WA

Second Place in the 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade Category is titled “Freedom,” constructed by students at the Washington State School for the Blind in Vancouver, WA.

This sculpture, reflecting a horse, is the size of a full-grown horse, and constructed entirely out of recycled white canes. Using black bungee from foldable canes, they construct a flowing mane and tail for the horse. Recycled crook handle canes reflect the horse’s ears, downward into its snout. Throughout the horse’s torso, canes weave and connect, giving the appearance that the horse is somewhat see-through, like a skeleton, each cane reflecting a rib, muscle, and vein that courses through the powerful horse’s body. I am in complete awe at the use of creating a sculpture so mesmerizing and symbolic, and out of recycled materials! 

Third Place

Crazy Colors
monoprint

by Zaakiya Bell, a 10th, 11th, 12th Grade student at the Overbrook School for the Blind, Philadelphia, PA

Third Place in the category of 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade is Zaakiya Bell, a student from Overbrook School for the Blind in Philadelphia, PA for “Crazy Colors.”

Personally, I think this artist has found the perfect name for this artwork! Using watercolors on a foam sheet, the artist then monoprints a dazzling abstract artwork across a stark white sheet of construction paper. The colors are layered atop one another, with bright, vivid shades of pastel blue and green that scatter underneath a layer of dark magenta that consumes most of the print. In areas where the three colors blend together, darker versions of the blue and green strike the page. Textured across the paper are the layers of foam sheeting that the artist used to create their quilt-like texture. The colors remind me of the powdered paint that is sprinkled on runners who do The Color Run! 

Honorable Mention

Untitled
digital art

by Jazmine Rosas, a 10th, 11th, 12th grade student from Bridgeport, CT

Honorable Mention

InSight Dinnerware
ceramic

by Corey Turner, a 10th, 11th, 12th grade student at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Indianapolis, IN

Honorable Mention in the category of 10th, 11th, and 12th Grade is Corey Turner, a student from the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Indianapolis, IN for “InSight Dinnerware.”

InSight Dinnerware is exactly what it sounds like… Dare I say, a cheeky ode to the InSights Art Program? A ceramic mug and saucer, sage green in color, are part of an identical set, but a bit more untraditional than the typical mug and saucer. Sculpted within each dinnerware is a single eye, light blue, with an upper and lower lid that surrounds it. The lids on both the mug and plate are peachy pink toned, providing ample contrast between the blue of the eye and the rest of the sage ceramic. In addition, the plate and mug are speckled, varying shades of green dance around each eye. Feel the rim of both the mug and plate, and you will find a tiny, yet intentional crack on both dishes, perhaps reflecting that the InSight Dinnerware has been a loved, well used set for the user.