STEAMM Artists Earn Recognition!

Northeast Region competition held at Kent State Stark

By Katie Birdwisa, Instructional Coach

In 1932, the Scholastic Art & Writing awards were founded to honor creative teens in the areas of writing and art. With names such as Andy Warhol, Zac Posen, and Arnold Hurley as previous recipients it was a no-brainer for Coach Kathy Pugh to enter her students into the Northeast Region competition held at Kent State Stark. With thousands of entries from across the region, it came as no surprise to Coach Pugh that STEAMM had three students receive awards and recognition. Taeko Thompson, Janay Johnson, and Nancy Andrea Lopez, three 8th-grade students, were all recognized for their outstanding art pieces.

With a “Beauty and the Beast” enchanted rose inspiration, Taeko Thompson was awarded the silver award. The skill that went into her creation was unmeasurable. Burning down plastic cups to provide the wrinkly effect of the rose as the petals wilted, combined with drilling all the pieces together allowed for an almost identical replica of the “enchanted rose” while still allowing for her style to shine earned Thompson a silver award. Also placing in the trash to treasure contest it is clear Taeko has a promising future in art.

Building a tree house is not a simple task for any person. Making a model version without an actual tree to provide the base is even more difficult. Janay Johnson said, “I knew I wanted to make a treehouse, I had no idea how hard it would be to get the structure to stay.” Made from wood, book pages, and two different types of glue, Johnson’s tree house stood tall. Janay was able to learn from the process as she was building and realized the glue, E6000, was not strong enough to keep the structure together, therefore she switched to hot glue. Without completely starting she saw an opportunity to jump this hurdle by utilizing the E6000 glue to give off the rustic look of an old tree house. Janay Johnson also received a silver award.

Winning two awards, honorable mention, and silver, Nancy Andrea Lopez used inspiration for her two pieces of art. Made out of 100% recycled material, Lopez was inspired by her trip to the South Carolina aquarium for her first creation.

The piece of art takes bottle caps, coffee filters, cut-up leis, and old bowls to recreate an under-the-sea feel. Her second piece, inspired by her mother’s garden, showcases Nancy’s impeccable skill of painting using strictly watercolors. Both creations were recognized at the award ceremony.

The Scholastic contest allows students to not only be recognized for their creativity but an opportunity for students to win scholarships and continue their education. STEAMM is very proud of our three scholars.

Upcoming Events:

Spring Showcase:

• Grades 4-8 May 17th, 2023 starting at 3:30 p.m.

Spring Concert:

• Grades 7-8: May 17th, 2023 following the showcase

• Grades 5-6: May 18th, 2023 at 5:30 p.m.

Plant Sale:

• May 13, 2023 8 a.m.-12 p.m.