Eleven students from Region 15 middle and high schools were honored at the 26th Annual Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards competition, sponsored by the Connecticut Art Education Association.

The Scholastic Art Awards are sponsored yearly on a state-wide level by the Connecticut Art Education Association (CAEA), and on a national level by Scholastic and the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. The competition is open to students in grades 7 through 12, and is the oldest student competition in the country. Every year, the CAEA asks teachers to submit their students' top work. Top state art award winners and gold key recipients’ work are entered in the national competition with a National Awards Ceremony held in Carnegie Hall, New York City, in June.

Prizes and scholarships were distributed at the Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony at the University of Hartford on January 25th.

The entries are from public and private schools statewide, divided into two groups: 7th and 8th graders, and high school students. The awards are in several categories including painting, drawing, printmaking, digital media, sculpture, ceramics, photography, and at the high school level, a portfolio award.

Beyond the honor of being selected for this high quality exhibit, students may be awarded gold or silver keys and honorable mention places in each of the 17 media categories. The winners of the gold key award will have their artwork submitted as a digital image to the National Level Scholastic Art Awards for jury at the close of the exhibit. A national jury will choose works for exhibit in the National Show held in June.

“Region 15 students have earned five national art awards since 2012,” said PHS art teacher Florin Firimita. “Our talented students compete against nearly 50,000 entries so winning a national award is like winning the Superbowl of art!”

Five Pomperaug High School art students were selected for top honors at “Scholastics”, including a Gold Key and a Silver Key. One Memorial Middle School art student won a Silver Key recognition for her painting. Other students from the district received honorable mention for their work.

Ginny F., 17, of Southbury (at right) earned a Gold Key for her colored pencil drawing of her swim teammates' intertwined tie-dyed stained hands. Ginny has studied under Mr. Firimita for three years and is currently enrolled in his Advanced Placement Art class. She plans to study art and business next year in college.

The students’ artwork was displayed in January at the Silpe Gallery, University of Hartford.

All students must submit to the judges a written statement about their artwork, including information about the process and technique.

Because all schools in the state, private and public, are invited to enter, the exhibition is highly competitive. Students must look critically at art history, make educated choices in their designs, solve problems that arise, master the materials, and be able to communicate their ideas both visually and verbally.