With Arts & Entertainment Editor Kathy L. Collins
On Friday, March 24, students from East Bay, Lennard and Riverview High School competed in the South Shore High School Student Art Competition held at Hillsborough Community College South Shore located in Ruskin. There were 74 entries in the juried show. Awards totaling $2,325 were given to the students, and an additional $1,400 was awarded to the participating schools’ art departments.
The South Shore High School Student Art Competition is organized by the South Shore Arts Council. The awards are funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, and show is sponsored by HCC South Shore. Michael Parker is the president of the South Shore Arts Council. Parker said, “This program is extremely important to us to keep enthusiasm and creativity in the South Shore schools alive.”
Laurie Burhop, former Art Coordinator for the SouthShore Regional Library, served as the juror. Burhop said, “The artwork in the show was excellent. The winning artwork was very interesting and creative.” Burhop added, “Many of the pieces made you think and ponder. I liked the variety of the show.”
Best of Show was awarded to Fabiola Velez-Miranda who received $400. First place and $300 went to Willy De Oieo. Second place was awarded to Julia Allen who received $300. Tanner Morris was awarded $100 and third place. The People’s Choice award and $100 went to Samacha Nerngin. There were four students who received $75 and honorable mention awards. The students included Connor Addams, Aiden Polly, Savannah Harris and Taylor Davis.
The teachers who received funding from the show for their school’s art program included Barbara Lawton and Randall Klein from East Bay High School, Aaron Bowers and Adrienne Vander Ploeg from Lennard High School and Britzel Vasquez from Riverview High School.
The show was previously held at the SouthShore Regional Library. According to Parker, “The show was moved to HCC South Shore because it provides a new dynamic to the exhibition with a mutual benefit. High school students get to engage directly with a local continuing education institution, and the HCC community gets to support potential future students.”
Parker added, “There are some exceptionally talented students in our schools. It is our pleasure to recognize their work as well as the teachers’ tireless encouragement of that talent.”
For more information, please visit www.southshoreartscouncil.org.
