CCSD art students excel in Springville Museum art show, Inaugural Northern Utah High School Art Competition
Eve by Cole Finlinson
Students in Cache County School District are leaving their mark on the Utah high school art scene--earning awards, scholarships, and recognition at the Inaugural Northern Utah High School Art Competition Exhibit and the Springville Museum of Art High School Art Show. High school students submitted their pieces in the hope of gaining the opportunity to have their art on display for the public and perhaps receiving a scholarship or award. Entries were considered and examined using elements of design, composition, and skill level. All four high schools in the district had artwork featured in these exhibits.
This year, the Springville Museum of Art received over 1,000 entries from high school hopeful artists for the chance to be featured in the 47th Annual High School Art Show. Springville accepted 18 entries from CCSD high schools and six of those entries received scholarships and awards. In the Inaugural Northern Utah High School Art Competition, two Awards of Merit ($2,000 scholarship) and an Honorable Mention ($500 scholarship) were given to Sky View Students.
Cole Finlinson, Sky View senior, submitted an oil painting entitled Eve to the Springville Museum of Art High School Art show. To his surprise, his painting won him two scholarships! He attributes his success to Sky View art teacher Jeannie Millecam. “I never tried painting until she showed me the ropes,” Finlinson explained. “Ms. Millecam taught me how to paint… she taught me some basic concepts and I kind of just ran with it from there. And it worked out really well.” Finlinson said his inspiration for Eve came from the story of the Creation of Adam, and Renaissance paintings. Before trying out painting, his main focus was photography, and he hopes to pursue film after graduation. Entering this competition helped him realize a talent he didn’t know he had.
Ridgeline student Jessica Wyllie’s painting, A Modern Woman’s Quintessential Guide to Grocery Shopping, received a Juror’s Reward of Merit at the Springville Museum High School Art Show. It was Jessica’s second time being in the show and she felt excited that her piece received an award. In addition to her Springville Museum Art Show Award of Merit, she also just found out that two of her pieces won in the Art Region-at-Large in the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Award. She spends most of her time in art teacher Jaycie Self’s classroom at Ridgeline, where some of Wyllie’s pieces are displayed on the wall. When asked what she thinks inspires Wyllie’s artwork, Self responded with a color: “Chartreuse.” This yellow-green color is often seen riddled throughout Jessica’s portraits and various art pieces. “She's an excellent young woman,” Self stated. “I'm so proud of her accomplishments this year.”
In reference to the students who participated in the Inaugural Northern Utah High School Art Competition, Willamarie Huelscamp, a juror, applauded the dedication to their art pieces and encouraged them to develop their skills in the visual world: “In making a sketch from a three-dimensional world and translating it into the two-dimensional world, you are developing a skill as important as translating a foreign language. Being fluent in this visual language is as useful to a surgeon as to an engineer, an architect, or an artist. I wish you all great success in your futures.”
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Cache County School District would like to extend its congratulations to the following students:
Inaugural Northern Utah High School Art Competition
Award of Merit:
Briton Hoth, Self Portrait, Sky View High School
Sarah Chipman, Sisters, Sky View High School
Honorable Mention:
Caitlynne Tarbet, Disturbed, Sky View High School