PHOTO BY ALISON JAMES
(Left to right) Russellville High School’s Lauren Hammond, Skye Meh, Katelyn Carpenter and Amanda Gutierrez each placed in the 25th Artistic Renderings of Youth Art Exhibit in the high school divisions.

Four students from Russellville High School and four students from Russellville Middle School recently had their artistic prowess recognized, winning some of the top awards in the 25^th Artistic Renderings of Youth Art Exhibit.

The annual exhibit features entries from students in Franklin, Colbert and Lauderdale counties. Amidst significant artistic talent from across the region, Russellville students claimed several awards. Entries were grouped by grade, with Division 3 encompassing 11^th through 12^th grades; Division 2, 9^th through 10^th grades; and Division 1, 7^th and 8^th grades.

• Skye Meh, 12^th, Division 3 first place
• Katelyn Carpenter, 11^th, Division 3 honorable mention
• Lauren Hammond, 10^th, Division 2 second place
• America Gutierrez, 9^th, Division 2 third place
• Diana Jimenez-Rosas, 7^th, Division 1 Best in Show
• Alicia Gaspar Juan, 8^th, Division 1 first place
• Sophie Moore, 8^th, Division 1 second place
• Emily Lemus, 8^th, Division 1 honorable mention

“It’s just a way to let all the art teachers work together to show what their students are doing and to promote their students and their art,” said RHS art teacher Melissa Grissom. “They have a gift that’s within them, and so it’s a way for them to express themselves. It gives them a chance to have recognition for their gift.”

Carpenter said her portrait depicts her best friend Emily. “I didn’t want to do a portrait of myself because I feel weird drawing myself,” Carpenter said. Like many art students, she has been interested in creative pursuits since a young age. “My dad is a really good artist, and he got me into it,” she said. “I like oil pastel – it’s one of my favorites because it’s really easy to blend with. But I think what I use the most is pen and ink because I like the contrast.”

For Meh, creating art is a soothing pastime. “It calms me down and it takes me beautiful places,” said Meh, who created a self-portrait. “I enjoy it very much. Where I used to live in a Thailand refugee camp, there’s not a lot of opportunity … Our school didn’t offer oil pastels and stuff because it’s a poor school.” Meh said she thinks her artistic abilities came from her mother, who is a skilled weaver. Meh hopes to pursue graphic design as a career path.

Gutierrez and Hammond, in Division 2, created pet portraits – Gutierrez, of her dog when he was a puppy, and Hammond, of her cat.

“I like art because you can do anything you want to. There are no limits to what you can draw,” Hammond said.

Gutierrez said she found her project challenging, but she loved doing it. “You could be as creative as you wanted to.”

Russellville Middle School art teacher Nancy Meeks said she took immense satisfaction in seeing how highly her students excelled in the regional competition.

“It makes me feel so good to see them be so successful. I love what it does for them – their pride, how it makes them feel. They take pride in their work,” Meeks said.

Diana, an Art 1 student at RMS who took Best in Show for Division 1, used a variety of artistic methods to create an Asian landscape, creating texture with items like Q-tips, cotton balls and torn paper. “It had charcoal, ink, pastels and tempura paint. It was a variety of different techniques,” Meeks said. Alicia, an Art 2 student, painted “negative space” with watercolor to create a vivid leafy scene, taking 1^st place. “It’s called painting outside the lines,” Meeks explained. For 2nd place in Division 1, Art 1 student Sophie created a foil relief depicting her name in hieroglyphics, using glue and aluminum foil. Emily, in honorable mention, creating a black and white pastel drawing of Chinese takeout boxes.

Meeks said art offers a positive creative outlet for students – “a way to express themselves.”

Grissom and Meeks also spoke to the opportunity to teach art in a cross-curricular way, tying in aspects of science, math, history and literature. “It helps them with their creativity and problem-solving skills,” Meeks said. Grissom added, “It shows them there is more than one solution.”

These students were honored at a reception March 2 at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts. For those who would like to view the exhibit, visit the Kennedy-Douglass Center, 217 East Tuscaloosa Street, Florence, anytime Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., through March 22.