This past weekend, six young artists from Lakeview High School participated in Youngstown State University’s 2024 Northeastern Ohio Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition and visited the art show showcasing all of the participants’ art throughout Bliss Hall on the YSU Campus. Multiple impassioned students from grades 7-12 came to showcase their creativity, and most nearby high school art teachers were there as well. Rewards were distributed in a ceremony upon arrival. More specifically, this took place on Saturday, January 20th at 1 p.m.. Those who were present included our own Lakeview High School art teacher, Jeffrey Piper, and 6 students also from our school which were Juniors Meliah Persino, Rachel Clark, Jaelynn Orme, Seniors Alexandria Marra, Leah Fabry, and Sophomore Axel Pistilli.
Piper always stands behind and supports his students, making sure they get every opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. I asked him what his role was, specifically, in this art show.
“For the Ceremony, I help out wherever I am needed. The Hubbard High School Art Teacher, Josh MacMillion, sets everything up for this region. I’m just a helping hand at the gallery. I do prep all of our Lakeview students’ work with mats and hanging wires and then will go hang their work at YSU,” Piper states.
Curious about the choosing progress, I also questioned him on this.
He responded to this and more when he informed, “The scholastics art show is a national Art exhibition that we participate in every year. Most high school art teachers participate. Student works are judged. I choose the students and works that I feel will best compete in the judging process. This year we had 6 students participate, each putting in a couple of works of art to compete.”
These students put in their best effort and took the time to perfect their work before it was finally ready for the show. Two of them gave their input on how everything went. Meliah Persino and Rachel Clark, both 11th-grade students, are the artists who provided responses.
Persino presented two 12×18 paintings “both in an impressionistic style. One rendering a girl, me, in a field near dusk. The other is a painting of a girl jumping a horse in an indoor arena. I received honorable mentions for both paintings.”
In regards to the ceremony, she describes, “Although I showed up a little late due to being lost and ended up being presented as a Warren G. Harding student, I would say my time was quite enjoyable. The award ceremony was full of other bright-eyed artists, some achieved awards that permitted them to go to Columbus to compete for a higher award. After the ceremony, we got to look at everyone’s displayed art. There were honorable mentions and gold and silver key awards, and seeing the winners gave me an understanding of what I need to do to win.”
The artists appreciated being recognized, and as Persino said they now have a greater comprehension of how they can get more acclaimed awards at ceremonies like these.
Clark noted, “I presented two of my ceramic pieces. One was a sculpture of a moon, and the other was a bear pot with a lid. I had fun at the art show and I enjoyed seeing my peers’ work displayed. There was a lot of talent there. I would like to go again, it was a great experience!”
It was time well spent according to these accounts. As a school, here at Lakeview, we have always been proud to show our creativity through students and their accomplishments. This event was another opportunity to do so. Our art teacher and students seized it well. Thank you to those who participated for representing our school with pride.
