EVERETT — The Schack is as much about education as it is about the sale and celebration of visual art.
Each year the Schack Center for the Arts presents in its main gallery the Snohomish County’s Scholastic Art Awards and Exhibit, which recognizes the work of high school students.
This year’s show is displayed through Feb. 22 at the center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett.
Schack employee Maren Oates raves about the exhibit.
“I personally think this is one of the best programs we do,” Oates said. “Most of the students who participate will not go on to become artists, so it is an amazing opportunity to show their artwork in a professional gallery. It builds confidence, helps inspire and provides motivation for all participants. For the students who are really into art, this is a huge opportunity. I mean, music kids have festivals and athletes have state tournaments, but this show is it if your main passion is art.”
It also helps build a new generation audience for fine art in the county, Oates said.
“For 18 years we were the only affiliate for this competition in Washington state,” she said. “If you lived outside Snohomish County you had to enter on your own in the “region at large” category. National Scholastic finally convinced Cornish (College in Seattle) to be the affiliate for the rest of the state. We had as many entries this year from Snohomish County as Cornish got from the rest of the state.”
The national program gives thousands of students throughout America the opportunity to broaden their creative horizons while earning local and national recognition.
Out of the more than 1,000 entries that were received from 37 different Snohomish County schools for this year’s contest, the jurors selected five outstanding pieces as the American Vision/Best of Show recipients.
They are Emily Jones, “City Life,” and Chan Ha Kim, “Finding Birds,” from Jackson High School; Kaelyn Thede, “Last Birthday,” from Snohomish; Minkyu Kang, “Manifestation,” from Kamiak; and home-schooled student Elizabeth Heinl, “Old Man Pencil Drawing.”
A list of the Gold Key, Silver Key and honorable mention winners will appear in an upcoming School Winners column, which runs on Mondays in The Herald.
Jurors included Jules Anslow, Shannon Danks, Susan Dawson, Viva Gallivan, Susie Howell, Kristol Jones, Sandra Lepper, Jennifer MacLean, Anna Mastronardi Novak, Cindy Morris, Marissa Motto, Mike O’Day, Elizabeth Person, Mary Peterson, Verena Schwippert, Shannon Tipple-Leen, Robert Stockton and Lloyd Weller.
The regional Scholastic Art Awards are co-sponsored by the Everett Cultural Arts Commission, Melby, Cameron &Anderson, Stanwood-Camano Arts Guild and the Schack Art Center and its H’Arts patrons.
Speaking of H’Arts, the annual swanky fundraising event to benefit the Schack is 5 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Hansen Conference Center, 200 Hewitt Ave., Everett.
Tickets are available online at schack.org.
The art pieces to be auctioned at the event will displayed at the Schack through Feb. 26.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
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