Spring High School art teacher Amanda Beisert, on left, celebrates with junior An Nguyen at the regional awards ceremony.
Spring High School senior Josue Hernandez-Navarro, on left, with art teacher Amanda Beisert at the regional awards ceremony.
“Touch,” by Josue Hernandez-Navarro
“Kokoro,” by An Nguyen
HOUSTON – April 15, 2019 – In the 2019 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, 14 Spring ISD middle school and high school students received 21 separate regional awards for works they submitted to the contest, sponsored and overseen at the regional level by Harris County Department of Education (HCDE), with additional support from Texas Art Supply.
“We had a bigger turnout this year for the event at both the middle school and high school levels, and we’re so proud of all the students who participated,” said Spring ISD Visual Arts Coordinator Amanda Byers. “As the district continues its arts integration initiative, it’s also exciting to see so many of our students getting recognized at the regional level of the Scholastic competition for their hard work and creativity.”
Originally launched in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards offer young visual artists and writers across the country an opportunity to compete with their work at both regional and national levels. A select group of top winners in the national competition receive a special invitation – along with their teachers – to attend the annual awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City. This year, approximately 340,000 U.S. students in grades 7-12 participated across 29 different art and writing categories for a chance at having their work recognized, as well as for scholarship awards and other prizes.
“It’s a tough competition,” Byers said. “They start working on it when they get to school in August. It’s almost a year-long process.”
In addition to the full list of district winners included below, two Spring High School students had their contributions singled out for special awards by the judges. They included junior An Nguyen, who was awarded the $500 HCDE Trustees’ Incentive Award; and senior Josue Hernandez-Navarro, who also received a $500 prize as one of only 10 Texas Art Supply Award Winners selected in this year’s contest.
“We celebrate the creativity of our Harris County students and the dedication of their mentoring teachers,” said HCDE Superintendent James Colbert Jr. in a message sent out to students, parents and teachers announcing this year’s recipients.
Out of more than 7,000 submissions, Nguyen’s was the only piece this year chosen to receive the HCDE Trustees’ Incentive Award. Her Gold Key Award-winning piece, “Kokoro,” will join the permanent display gallery at the HCDE headquarters.
The full rundown of the 2019 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners from Spring ISD is as follows:
Gold Key:
Student: Josue Hernandez-Navarro
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Touch
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: An Nguyen
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: The Industry From Below
Category: Architecture & Industrial Design
Art Teacher: Adrian Macris
Student: An Nguyen
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Kokoro (Heart)
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Erin Reed
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Broken Home
Category: Poetry
Silver Key:
Student: Darlene Acosta
Campus: Dueitt Middle School
Work Title: When The Party’s Over
Category: Painting
Art Teacher: Katherine Sands
Student: Darlene Acosta
Campus: Dueitt Middle School
Work Title: Black and White
Category: Drawing and Illustration
Art Teacher: Katherine Sands
Student: Zandra Addington
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Les Colours de Autumn
Category: Painting
Art Teacher: Lizbeth Ramagnoli
Student: Mackenzie Berryman
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Urban Wave
Category: Architecture & Industrial Design
Art Teacher: Adrian Macris
Student: Jayda Davis
Campus: Roberson Middle School
Work Title: Evolution of Nonconformity
Category: Editorial Cartoon
Art Teacher: Samantha Lacey
Student: Chris Estrada
Campus: Roberson Middle School
Work Title: Politically Scanned
Category: Editorial Cartoon
Art Teacher: Samantha Lacey
Student: Eliana Garza
Campus: Claughton Middle School
Work Title: Reunited
Category: Comic Art
Art Teacher: Bryce Johnson
Student: Austin Gough
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Old town
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Hannah Herring
Campus: Twin Creeks Middle School
Work Title: The New World
Category: Printmaking
Art Teacher: Ariel Keller
Student: Letzy Mota
Campus: Dekaney High School
Work Title: Ms. Moore
Category: Drawing and Illustration
Teacher: Desmond Rodney
Student: An Nguyen
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Armillaria Tabescens (ringless honey fungus)
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: An Nguyen
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Hyper
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: An Nguyen
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Natural Ideas
Category: Photography
Art Teacher: Amanda Beisert
Student: Aniyah Shorter-Adams
Campus: Twin Creeks Middle School
Work Title: Dancing Dream
Category: Mixed Media
Art Teacher: Ariel Keller
Student: Monique Williams
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Effloresce
Category: Mixed Media
Art Teacher: Lizbeth Ramagnoli
Honorable Mention:
Student: Erin Reed
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Rumors
Category: Poetry
Student: Erin Reed
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Bells for the Fallen
Category: Poetry