FWCD Artists Take on the FWSSR Art Competition

Students can win big at the Fort Worth Rodeo & Stock Show without owning livestock. The Stock Show Art Contest offers Texas students ages 5-18 the opportunity to enter their original artwork expressing the Texas culture and western environments.

FWCD Art Teachers Holly Clifford, Lesley Francis and Pamela Lancaster used the art contest and its theme as a class assignment to engage students in traditional, abstract, realism, contemporary or impressionism styles that depicts or expresses the culture of Texas and western environments, both contemporary and historical.

Lancaster chose to create themes for grade levels in order to allow students to connect with the art without feeling overwhelmed by the possibilities and to build esteem and artistic confidence. Themes were pigs (kindergarten), roosters/chickens (first), boots (second) and llamas (third). Lancaster chose entries from among the four grade levels.

Middle School had the option to enter the art contest. “We were in our prehistoric art unit when it was time to make art for this contest,” Francis said. “We looked at pictures of native Texas animals and drew them in the style of prehistoric cave art.” Francis shared the competition with all her classes and those interested entered.

Clifford’s class assignment allowed Upper School students to choose their own medium. “I encouraged them to build upon projects and lessons learned from this year in Painting and Drawing,” she said. “It was up to them to select their concept and choose a medium that best supported that, and one they felt most comfortable working with on a tight deadline.” All Upper School students who completed their project by the submission deadline (November 12) were entered into the contest.

In total, 24 student works were entered into the 2023 contest. FWCD’s representing artists are:

Nara Acuna Guba ’25

Annie Berkes ’32

Nathalie Mae Blair ’30

James Bornitz ’33

Madison Chan ’27

Jack Cimo ’24

Kate Daly ’24

Nathaniel DeLaughter ’29

Major Factor ’28

Olivia Marentes ’29

Helena McClanahan ’30

Brynn McCord ’32

Philippa Nghi ’30

Fiona Payne ’28

Emily Proell ’29

Dottie Quisenberry ’34

Minnie Royer ’35

Drake Shields ’33

Coco Stein ’35

Isabella Sweeney ’24

Isabella West ’34

Belle Xu ’24

Evelyn Young ’25

Hudson Youngblood ’33

There was no entry fee, and each piece entered received two one-day passes to gain admission to the FWSSR grounds. The overall top 6 entries were auctioned off at the Junior League Grand Entry

Isabella Sweeney ’24

Gala to increase scholarship amounts. Champion, Reserve Champion, first through fourth place, and High School Classroom Champion were invited to a one-day art workshop hosted by the Cowboy Artists of America during the 2023 FWSSR. More than $80,000 was given away in cash and scholarships to winners, and teachers were eligible to earn money for their classrooms. All the contestants’ work was on display during the Stock Show and Rodeo, with an awards ceremony on Saturday, January 27, 2023.

FWCD artists are regularly involved in the FWSSR Art Contest, and students have placed in the past. “The value of competition like this is creativity within constraints,” Clifford shared. “Students must reflect on the theme and rules, then see where they can insert their creative voice.”

Kate Daly ’24

Francis used the art show as an opportunity to talk about the importance of the Stock Show and Rodeo to the Fort Worth community, sportsmanship and trying something new. “The Middle School art teachers are proud of the hard work all the students put into their projects this year, especially the ones who chose to take it a step further and enter this contest,” Francis said. “We try not to focus on winning awards, but there is the fact that they can't win if they don't enter. We also want the students to learn how to be happy for other students who might win an award when they don't. The students are learning to have good sportsmanship, and not to be afraid to try.”

Nara Acuña Guba ’25