mwww.newbuffalotimes.com
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2022
5
Young New Buffalo artists selected in 2022 Scholastic Art Awards
‘Simeon Says’ by Mylo Walters
Alyssa Ruszkowski works on her ‘It’s a Small World’ piece
‘Mochi’ by Aaron Berk
‘It’s a Small World’ by Alyssa Ruszkowski
Aaron Berk works on his ‘Mochi’ piece
Camille Czech displays her ‘Best Friends’ piece
N
BY FRANCESCA SAGALA
ow, four New Buffalo young artists can say they have something in common with Robert Redford, Andy Warhol and Joyce Carol Oates. Recently, the following New Buffalo Middle and High School students were selected in the 2022 Scholastics Art Awards: Mylo Walters, ninth grade, “Simeon Says;” Alyssa Ruszkowski, 10th grade, “It’s a Small World;” Camille Czech, 11th grade, “Best Friends;” and Aaron Berk, seventh grade, “Mochi.” A virtual ceremony of the show will be held for the regional show of Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, at www.southbendart.org. There will also be an in-person open house from 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, at the South Bend Museum of Art. Guests must register for a free timed-ticket entry at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022scholastic-art-awards-open-housetickets-228532846897. The Scholastics Art exhibition will be open for in-person guests at the South Bend Museum of Art’s Warner Gallery from Feb. 5 to March 12 during museum hours. Founded in 1923, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards includes a long list of several notable alumni (including the ones mentioned previously) in its winners’ circle, which can be found at www.artandwriting. org/awards/history. Ashley Jager, art teacher at New Buffalo Middle/High School, said that achieving the honor can be very validating for the young artists, whether it’s at the national or regional level. “It’s really about getting your artwork to the community and showing what you’ve done,” she said. She said that this year’s entries stemmed from artwork that they’d done separate from class. Students took what they’d learned in art class and put their own spin on it, with the result being a heartfelt creation that’s truly their own. Putting their unique stamp on their creations is what students need to ensure that they always “make art that they’re proud of,” Jager said. “Everyone has their own different take
with it…. They add techniques they learned with value,” she said. For her “It’s a Small World” piece, Ruszkowski chose to showcase a bird’s eye view of a grouping of islands that she unearthed via Google Earth, with a color palette that included reds, greens, blues and oranges. Czech, who’s in individual study and whose piece Jager said is her end of trimester final project, made a mixed media piece containing pieces of photos of her friends (using pastel and watercolor for their clothing) amidst a backdrop of pages from books.
W
alters turned to a keychain-size skeleton for inspiration for his “Simeon Says” portrait. Aaron Berk took a pop art candy assignment to make his “Mochi” creation, using watercolor, pen and ink to bring out just “the right raspberry flavor,” Jager said. The South Bend Museum of Art is the affiliate for the Scholastic Art Awards’ Northwest Indiana and Southwest Lower Michigan Region, which includes 18 counties. Regional awards include the Gold Key (the highest level of achievement on the regional level), the Silver Key and Honorable Mention. This year, the students received honorable mentions. Students submit digital images of their work, which is juried by a panel of jurors that include retired teachers, artists and museum curators. Jurors judge a piece of artwork based on a uniform set of standards: its technical skill, its creative voice and the use of media. Digital images of all Gold Key awards are sent on to National Adjudication in New York City, where award recipients at the national level are invited to participate in the awards ceremony held at Carnegie Hall. The South Bend Museum of Art is located at 120 South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in South Bend. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., and closed Monday, Tuesday, and on major holidays. Admission is free. More student artwork at New Buffalo can be viewed at www.newbuffaloart.wixsite. com .
