The Flair of the Fair: Regional Scholastic Art Winners

Mililani High School recently participated in the 60th Annual Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards where they competed against other Hawaii students regionally. The students started on September 1 and worked through December 15. All Hawai’i students from grades 7-12 (ages 13+) were eligible for the event and over 2,000 entries were submitted. The 2023 exhibit, displaying orig- inal award-winning artwork from the competition, recently opened on March 11 at the Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM) and will continue to stay open until May 6, 2023.

“I consider the Scholastic Art show a great fine arts competition, it’s one of the very few [competitions] when it comes to pure fine art,” said MHS Art teacher Ruth Ravina-Koethe. “What I think is wonderful [about the competition] is it shows the diversity of student work across the state. It’s really nice to see what other teachers may be teaching or promoting in their classes.”

Students from various schools in Hawaii participated and submitted their artwork through various mediums ranging from photography, digital art, drawings, glassblowing, illustrations and other forms of art. Once the competition was finished, all entries were considered for Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Voices Nominee, and American Visions Nominee awards. These awards were presented to students along with celebration ceremonies and exhibitions in each region. Entries were selected for awards by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts, with many Scholastic Awards alumni having lent their expertise as jurors.

“I think [The Scholastic Art Awards] is good for students who are trying to pursue art for their career,” said junior Sara Tanioka, who received a Gold Key for her watercolor painting, “The Bus Stop”. “It can benefit them greatly and can increase their confidence”.

Mililani High School was represented by 59 honorable mentions recipients this year, with 13 Silver Key recipients and 8 Gold Key recipients. On Jan. 26, 2023, the Hawaii regional awards were announced. Teachers were notified by email of which works were selected for the regional exhibition at the Hawaii State Art Museum and students were notified in their Scholastic Student Art Awards accounts.

“I was pretty surprised,” said Tanioka. “Other people worked really hard on theirs and had deeper meaning, so [I was] surprised when I got nominated.”

The 60th Annual Hawaii Regional Art Awards presented many students with a challenge. Finding inspiration from unusual occurrences and thinking outside the box made the event difficult for the artists who were hoping to stand out. Senior Isabel Barcial, who won the Gold Key award for her pastel painting “Fruit Bowl,” explained that her painting was inspired from a New Year picture for a family event, and wanting to challenge herself because of her other assignments from other classes.

Gold Keys and Silver Keys weren’t the only awards given out to students, as opportunities were presented as well. The Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards give students a chance to showcase their work at nationals if they receive a Gold Key for art they’ve produced. Gold Key entries are automatically considered for national awards, including Gold Medal, Silver Medal with Distinction, Silver Medal, and scholarship awards.

“I plan on getting into art school in the future,” said Barcial. “Originally I wasn’t planning on doing all that work, but it caressed into something a lot more than that.”

Scholastic Awards winners are celebrated via ceremonies, exhibitions, and publications. National Medalists are eligible for scholarships of up to $10,000 and submissions are judged by luminaries in the visual and literary arts.

Since 1923, the Scholastic Awards have sparked the creative growth of many teens and continue to do so till this day. The importance of this event still remains and is relevant to the younger generation today, as teachers hope to inspire young artists.

“I wanted to show the students that their art is valued and what we [represent] in photography. For them to be able to be recognized for that hard work is fun,” said MHS Art teacher Britney Kam. “[Students getting] recognized for their art is a really nice feeling”.

The importance of the Scholastic Art Awards also stems from wanting to uplift students to create the very best work that they can. Competing in the Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards is an opportunity for students to get recognized for their artwork and view other artists’ performances in their community.

“As a teacher, I really like the variety of all the artwork and the various projects that are being done,” said Koethe. “For the individual student to have that acknowledgement that their hard work and everything they’ve put into learning art is being accepted into the Scholastic Art show, and completing very difficult work [is great]”.

The 60th Annual Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards is a great opportunity for young artists to showcase and be recognized for their talents across the islands. It is a chance for students to express themselves creatively, while also representing their community. For more details on The 60th Annual Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards, contact Ms. Ravina-Koethe at ruth. ravina-koethe@k12.hi.us or visit sfca.hawaii.gov. Student artwork can be seen at HiSAM until May 6, 2023.