Writer/Photographer - Lily Monigold On Wednesday, February 24th, art students from Le Roy High School traveled to Springfield for a day filled with some awesome art. Our very own Brooke Raven’s art is included in this. Brooke Raven had three of her paintings on display among many other paintings, photographs, drawings, and sculptures. However, she had to work very hard to get these pieces here. In order for your art to be featured, you have to enter into the Mid-Central Regional Scholastic Art Competition. This year, there were 625 entries from students ranging from 6th grade to 12th grade. Last year, there were over 900 entries. This contest has been going on since 1923, so it will be reaching its 100-year anniversary in a couple of years. Brooke Raven won the Gwen Lewis and Wanda Riseman American Visions Nominee Award, as well as the Rod and Rosemary Buffington Portfolio Award. She also received a gold key for her art portfolio, and a silver key for her paintings. Her pieces are People First, 309, and Growing Into Me. Growing Into Me, her biggest piece of the three, is currently being judged out of five other pieces over the advancement to Nationals in New York at Carnegie Hall. This will be decided within the next few weeks. Brooke says that without quarantine, she doesn’t think she would have gotten where she is today. This time gave her the chance to work hard and continue to pursue her passions in art. The showcase will be taken down on Saturday, February 27th, so the Le Roy art students knew they wanted to catch the show before it went away. This is why on Wednesday morning, a group of 13 art students loaded up on a bus to head out to Springfield. Once there, students were able to explore around the whole show and take in all of the incredible art around them. Being surrounded by amazing art done by those around the same age is like an artist’s dreamland. After checking out the art, they were given a tour of the building with all of its features. Many art classes taken place here including painting, sculpting, glass-making, jewelry-making, and more. The actual building is very cool as well. Edwards Place was built in 1833 and remodeled in 1857. It is a historic house museum that was the home of the brother-in-law of Mary Lincoln’s sister Elizabeth. It was then restored in 2015. The one thing that remains authentic, however, is a couch in the building that is the very couch where Abraham Lincoln proposed to Mary Todd Lincoln. One of the first things students noticed when the bus approached the building was that it was pink and stood out like a sore thumb. While a pink building used for art is very cool, it was actually a mistake. When being repainted, the colors were mixed incorrectly. By the time the building was painted and dried, they realized it was pink and not the light beige it should have been. Some students were disappointed to hear that in the next couple of years they are trying to get enough funding to repaint it to its historically accurate color. Everyone at the building was very kind to us, and even gave each student a book filled with all of the art from last year’s competition. Brooke’s art will be included in the 2021 book once it is made. After visiting Edwards Place to see all of the art, everyone was ready and hungry for Italian food from Gallina’s Pizza. After eating, we set out on a walk for a couple blocks to tour the Old State Capitol Building. While here, Nick Knoedler was able to pick up his winning painting of Abraham Lincoln that had been displayed in the building since December. Students loaded back onto the bus after this to head to the school, and the all-in-all census was that it was a fun, eventful, and educational outing.
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WINNER: Amelia Creech TITLE: Path Through a Garden INTERVIEW What inspired your art piece? AC: “This piece was actually a birthday gift to my mom. To create this piece I took a couple different pictures of gardens (because my mom likes gardens) and painted them into one painting.” What is the message from your piece that you would like the students of LeRoy High School to receive? AC: “You don't always know where your path leads. In the painting you can tell there is a path, but you can't tell where it will end up. And don't forget to look around at what you have while you're on your way. Sometimes we focus on one thing and we forget to look around at all we have.” What is your personal interpretation of your art piece? AC: “It is a watercolor painting of a pathway through a garden.” What made you pick your medium? (digital art, singing, instrument playing, makeup art) AC: “I picked watercolor because it is medium I am fairly comfortable in, and I didn't want to be trying something new when it was a gift to someone.” Do you think it's important to have fun while creating art, no matter the medium? AC: “Absolutely. I think as long as you have fun, you can create whatever you want!” Anything you'd like to add? AC: “Don't stop practicing. Everyone says that, but it's true. You can't get better unless you practice. And have a great day!” RUNNERS-UP: Aubrie Flegel, Madison Hamilton, Lily Monigold This is our second time seeing stunning work by Aubrie Flegel! This piece is titled “2:20” and is very thought-provoking. There are so many messages to be interpreted from this piece, and the art itself is amazing! The small cracks and details are well placed and makes the viewer want a story. This photograph was taken by Madison Hamilton and is titled “Sunset in the Country”. Madison captured an amazing image at the perfect time and place to display the beauty of Illinois country, and of LeRoy itself. This photo provokes viewers to appreciate how beautiful the place that we live is, and is a good reminder of the beauty of nature. Drawn by Lily Monigold, this piece “Zentangle Cats” is a very playful and intricate work! The small details, the fun artistic designs, and black cats give this piece a “Halloween feel” and is absolutely adorable. This piece surely took lots of time and hard work, and we’re honored that Lily chose to share it with The Paw Print.
WINNER: Jada Lynn TITLE: Perfection INTERVIEW What inspired your art piece? JL: “I just felt the need to practice my portrait art and it slowly turned into a piece that really moved me.” What is the message from your piece that you would like the students of LeRoy High School to receive? JL: “The message with my piece is empowerment and to treat others (no matter shape, color, size, ethnicity, race, etc) with as much respect as you would like to receive.” What is your personal interpretation of your art piece? JL: “Empowerment and beauty, and not thinking one person is better than another because of the previous factors that I have mentioned.” What made you pick your medium? (digital art, singing, instrument playing, makeup art) JL: “Digital art is my preferred medium which I've used for forever.” Do you think it's important to have fun while creating art, no matter the medium? JL: “Yes! I believe every art piece should bring you joy and peace while creating it. For me it's the journey that inspires me more than the finished product.” Anything you'd like to add? JL: “Eighty percent of the art I create always starts as a doodle or a study of some sort and ends with becoming a whole art project. I made this piece as a study on Procreate, and the program said (counting the pencil strokes) it took 8 and a half hours total!” RUNNERS UP: Macy Gerth, Public Aid, Aubrie Flegel Titled “Vitamortem”, this piece by Macy Gerth was done digitally and is absolutely stunning. The piece seems ethereal and the mystical details leave you wanting a story just by looking at it. We hope to see more of Macy’s work for our next art submissions! This drawing was done by Aubrie Flegel. Done in pencil, the shading and details on this drawing is well thought out and very aesthetic. The perspective as well makes the beautifully drawn mountain a stunning focal point. Aubrie did a wonderful job on this piece and we look forward to more of her submissions! Public Aid: Jason's Mom (Ice Nine Kills cover)
This cover by students and graduates from our very own high school is very well produced and in general so much fun to listen to! With Blake Walker and Noah Conn on guitars and vocals, Gavin Melton on bass, Blake Walker on keyboards and Haden McKenzie on drums and percussion, you can really tell that this group worked very hard. Both individually and as a group, you can tell that they’re all having fun and working to produce something they can be proud of. We highly recommend listening to it! Kelsey Nava/ Writer
Oct. 29, 2020 Question 1: What inspired you?
“I would say that the message is (this is very brief) that everyone goes through a time in their High School/ Jr. High career where they don’t feel included (and I went through that too), but I don’t want anyone to feel that way, so I think that a little bit of diversity is a good thing.” The message Brooke wanted to convey ties back to the reason why she chose the people that she included. She wants to show all aspects of Le Roy High School and she doesn’t want anyone to feel left out. In her artist statement (pictured below) Brooke goes into further detail about her struggles with embracing her true self and missing out on great opportunities because of the invisible pressure of fitting into the social norm of a high school student. With this piece of art, Brooke hopes to encourage everyone to be diverse, respectful, and kind to everyone whether you understand them or not. “I am grateful for who I have become, and I leave this piece here feeling optimistic about what is to come for all of us.”
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