Three Central students win at Upper Iowa Conference Art Show
Jillian Finley’s “Selfie” was created with Sharpie on acetate. She said, “I drew the line art in Sharpie and the background with watercolor pencils. I made colorful flowers in the back because I thought it would stand out from the black lines and, also, I just like bright things.”
Lexi Loan won the sculpture category. Her work titled “What Lies Within” was recognized for its originality and thought-provoking appearance.
Brooklyn Amsden placed second in the sculpture category. Of the work, titled “Textured Blue,” Amsden said, “The textured mask was actually my first time dealing with clay and doing art. I really like the textured mask because it was my first thing I made and the colors are all my favorite colors: blue, gray and white.”
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
Central’s fine arts program continues to impress, this time at the Upper Iowa Conference Art Show, where three artists won at a competition that included six other schools.
The show, typically an in-person event with students gathering and presenting their work, was conducted virtually due to COVID-19. For Central art teacher Cathy Recker, the situation was a unique one, made even more so by the fact this was the first year she’d chosen this competition for the students to participate in.
That decision was based on the timing of other competitions and with a focus on events where the students can be most successful.
The move paid off, as Lexi Loan captured first place in the sculpture category and classmate Brooklyn Amsden took home second place in the same category. The biggest surprise came when Jillian Finley pulled off a win as a middle school student, as only two middle school entries total were selected.
For Loan’s winning sculpture, titled “What Lies Within,” competition judge and local artist Rebecca Hennessy commented, “The originality of this piece brought it to my attention for first place. The artist is clearly conveying a message of conflict with the use of nails, screws and choice of colors, giving the viewer a thought-provoking piece of art to enjoy.”
Recker described Loan as “talented, creative, hard-working, innovative and thoughtful.”
“I hold Lexi in the highest regard,” she concluded.
Amsden’s submitted work was titled “Textured Blue.” Hennessy said of the sculpture, “The blue and gray glazes in this piece are wonderful. Interesting to me that the artist chose to portray the eyes as somewhat closed. The texture in this piece is very well done.”
In the words of Recker, Amsden is an “emerging artist who dives in and is not afraid,” while middle schooler Finley “exudes art in every way. She embodies art.”
Hennessy said Finley’s submission, which was Sharpie on acetate titled “Selfie,” was notable for “the contrast of the blackness of the sharpie on top of the pinks and greens and yellows in the flowers. Reminiscent of the ‘hippie’ era when striving for peace in an uncertain world was a prominent message, which is a reminder that history repeats itself. This is a beautiful message of hope and courage and the artist skillfully rendered the form and the expression.”
Amsden looks at art for its beauty.
“Without art, life can be boring without any color. Art is cool to look at, and there is a lot of beauty in it.”
For Finley, it’s all about sharing a vision with people and finding the uniqueness within.
“I’m always sharing my art on social media. I like finding motivation when I see other people making unique art and it makes me want to create something unique as well,” Finley said.
Both Amsden and Finley were genuinely surprised about their wins. For Amsden, it was surprising because it was her first time competing in an art show.
“When I won, I was very surprised, and I didn’t think that I was going to win. My art teacher showed me a paper that said I won, and I was very happy, but mostly surprised,” she remarked.
Finley was equally surprised, having also never competed in an art show. But she is quickly looking to turn a hobby into a full-blown career.
“In the future, I would love to have a career in art, like working in an animation studio,” she said.
The success bodes well for the art side of the fine arts program, which, according to Recker, has seen “huge growth in terms of quality and creativity” over the past three years.
Other efforts to enhance the arts at Central include a K-12 art show on April 30. Middle school students Mya Stone, Alexis Thiese and Finley, along with Recker, are also attempting to start an art club.
“The future of the art program lies with the middle school students,” Recker stated.
