The Harris County Department of Education has announced the regional winners of the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, with 15 Spring ISD students earning Gold Keys, Silver Keys, and Honorable Mention awards.

The students, from multiple campuses around the district, earned a total of 18 awards in this year’s contest across several artistic mediums as well as in the writing category.

“We are really proud to have a number of Gold Keys, Silver Keys and Honorable Mentions in this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards,” said Spring ISD Visual Arts Coordinator Amanda Byers. “It’s especially great to see middle school represented in both the Gold and Silver categories. It shows that our elementary programs are helping build the foundation that students need while inspiring a love of art and the confidence to enter such a competitive event.”

This year’s regional Gold and Silver Key winners will have their art on display during special Houston-area exhibits open to the public from Feb. 15 to March 19. Gold and Silver Key artwork from area middle school students will be on display at Texas Art Supply’s main location at 2001 Montrose Blvd., while Gold and Silver Key winners at the high school level will have their work on exhibit at Spring Street Studios at Sawyer Yards, located at 1824 Spring Street in Houston.

Originally launched in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards offer young visual artists and writers across the country an opportunity to compete at both regional and national levels. Last year, more than 100,000 U.S. students in grades 7-12 participated for a chance at having their work recognized, as well as for scholarship awards and other prizes.

The annual contest is sponsored and overseen at the regional level by HCDE, which accepts submissions from schools across Harris County, including entries from public, private, charter and home schools.

Out of the thousands of works submitted by Harris County students, judges select the top regional honorees, including Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, and American Visions & Voices nominations. Works receiving the Gold Key recognition at the regional level go on to compete in the national competition, the results of which are scheduled to be announced in March. A national awards ceremony will be held over the summer for top-ranking entries from across the country.

Byers noted that Spring ISD saw students winning regional awards this year in a number of artistic categories, indicating the strength of the range of visual arts programs across the district.

“It’s interesting to note that there are four 3D pieces among the winners this year, which is a change for us, and helps showcase how those ceramics and sculpture programs are growing and flourishing at our campuses,” Byers said. “We are extremely proud of all of these students and their teachers. None of this would be possible without the support provided by our Spring ISD administrators and school board members, and the partnership with HCDE that makes this program possible each year.”

The list of 2022 Regional Scholastic Art & Writing Award winners from Spring ISD is as follows:

Gold Key:

Student: Ana Rodriguez
Grade: 12
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Ana’s Donuts
Category: Art
Teacher: Nicholas Furlong

Student: Raymond Holman
Grade: 8
Campus: Roberson Middle School
Work Title: Layered Cattle
Category: Art
Teacher: Evan White

Student: Christian Mandujano
Grade: 12
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: The Titan of Celaya
Category: Art
Teacher: Nicholas Furlong

Silver Key:

Student: Kaliyah Coleman
Grade: 10
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: Predator
Category: Art
Teacher: Amanda Beisert

Student: Fatima Gamez Santillan
Grade: 8
Campus: Twin Creeks Middle School
Work Title: In Charge
Category: Art
Teacher: Dorris Pauley 

Student: Princess Gould
Grade: 11
Campus: Dekaney High School
Work Title: Diversity
Category: Art
Teacher: Tiffany Sims

Honorable Mention:

Student: Darlene Acosta
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: The Unconscious Shadow
Category: Art
Teacher: Valerie Hassel 

Student: Ja’Nai Burton
Grade: 9
Campus: Dekaney High School
Work Title: Swimming Upside Down
Category: Art
Teacher: Tiffany Sims

Student: Ja’Nai Burton
Grade: 9
Campus: Dekaney High School
Work Title: Some Paper Airplanes
Category: Art
Teacher: Tiffany Sims

Student: Andrew Campos
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: The Jabbing
Category: Art
Teacher: Edward Barnett

Student: Gracie Dishongh
Grade: 10
Campus: Carl Wunsche Sr. High School
Work Title: Ginger
Category: Art
Teacher: Lada Koptelova

Student: Nosakhare Iyoha
Grade: 11
Campus: Spring Early College Academy
Work Title: Loneliness/Ten White Flags
Category: Writing
Teacher: Valerie Hassel

Student: Gustavo Martinez
Grade: 10
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Monpen Mad Monkey
Category: Art
Teacher: Naomi Mayhall

Student: Elisha Moore-Patterson
Grade: 12
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: The Rings of Maddening Sight
Category: Art
Teacher: Naomi Mayhall

Student: Mateo Rincon
Grade: 8
Campus: Bailey Middle School
Work Title: Shot
Category: Art
Teacher: Keirsten Probst

Student: Ana Rodriguez
Grade: 12
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Utopia
Category: Art
Teacher: Nicholas Furlong

Student: Ana Rodriguez
Grade: 12
Campus: Westfield High School
Work Title: Honey and Roses
Category: Art
Teacher: Nicholas Furlong

Student: Mariza Zamora
Grade: 12
Campus: Spring High School
Work Title: A Warm Place
Category: Art
Teacher: Adrian Kane