Schack exhibit features students’ award-winning artwork

Kamiak High School junior Antonio Mejia Wolf started drawing in eighth grade, guided in part in developing his skill by watching YouTube videos.

Nathan Duong, a Monroe High School sophomore, is mostly self-taught, inspired by the work of his father, an artist.

Their work, selected for special recognition, is part of a 335-piece exhibit at the Schack Art Center in Everett. Award-winning creations by students from throughout Snohomish County are on display.

They were chosen from a group of 941 entries in the fields of photography and graphics, digital arts and design, 2D comics and drawing, painting and mixed media.

A panel of professional artists selected the gold, silver and honorable mention award winners. The annual regional Scholastic Art Awards program is now in its 24th year.

Hyunbee Shin, a Cedar Park Christian School senior who takes after school art lessons at J Art Academy, was selected for the $1,500 Susan Jane Russell art scholarship.

Judges said the technical skill shown in her portfolio resulted from her lifelong love of drawing. The facial expressions in her work and pops of colors “were mature elements we had not seen often from teenage artists,” judges wrote.

Her portfolio and the artwork of five other students in the exhibit will be entered in a national competition in New York City next month: Nathan Duong, “Eye of the Storm,” drawing and illustration; Eunice Han, “Tree Silhouette Dress,” J Art Academy, fashion; Antonio Mejia Wolf, “Bushido,” drawing and illustration; Navid Rahbin, “Future City, North Creek High School, drawing and illustration; Linda Song, “Still Life,” Kamiak High School, painting.

Duong said his pen and pencil drawing, “Eye of the Storm,” was influenced by the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.

Superimposed on the face of a woman is a map of the island. He created it as part of a school project to draw attention to the storm’s victims who he felt were not getting adequate disaster relief from the government.

Han, a North Creek High School junior, said her “Tree Silhouette Dress” is made from silver bubble wrap cut into a tree design that also includes some flowers and birds.

Wolf’s “Bushido,” drawn with ink pen and the tiny black dots of Pointillism style, is based on a Japanese Samurai mask and took about 20 hours to complete.

In addition to watching YouTube videos on drawing, Wolf said his skills were developed by taking several art classes in Alaska from an artist who works in oil painting and charcoals.

A special award ceremony scheduled for Monday was cancelled due to the snow storm.

It has been rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Ave., Everett. A reception for the artists also is scheduled that day from 5 to 9 p.m.

The exhibit, which opened this week, will be displayed through Feb. 24.

“I want to encourage people to come and see it,” said Nancy Bell, Schack’s education director.

Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.

If you go

An exhibit of the regional Scholastic Art Awards winners, the work of high school students from throughout Snohomish County, will be displayed through Feb. 24 at the Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., in Everett. The art center is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. There’s no admission charge. Call 425-259-5050 or go to www.schack.org/exhibits/regional-scholastic-art-awards for more.