By Taylor Davis — Many students are unaware of the time, patience and skill it takes in order to create an award-winning masterpiece. The annual Scholastic Art competition gives these certain students a chance to fully understand what is necessary to create a true work of art as well as shows to the community the true meaning of hard work.

This competition is know for giving young artists a chance to be recognized for their artistic talents. It also allows for their masterpiece to be displayed at the Scholastic Art Exhibition where they will not only be judged but also reviewed to see if they qualify for the national level of the competition which is held in New York City. If they receive a Gold Key award, their winning piece will also be featured on a billboard in Times Square.

Senior Brennan Dunlap as well as Junior Brandon Storsin are two of GlenOak’s Gold Key winners. Dunlap entered nationals for photography with a Gold Key portfolio and two Gold Key individuals.

“My inspiration for my photo was a painting called ‘Nighthawk;’ painted
by Edward Hopper,” Dunlap said. “I liked the way the picture was lit up but at the same there was so much emptiness to it. That’s exactly what I tried to incorporate into my photo.”

Storsin, on the other hand, entered the national level of the competition for his graphic design. His design is named the “Walking Dead.”

“It typically takes me around 40 to 60 hours to complete a design. It takes a lot of layering and messing around with different effects to get exactly what I want to create,” Storsin said. “I started with a blank page, inserted a plain picture of a man and began to edit. It’s actually a lot of hard work and it takes time.”

In order to win a Gold Key award, one must be exceptionally gifted as well as have a full understanding of what they are doing in their field. Dunlap and Storsin have GlenOak’s programs to thank for that.

“I’ve been apart of the photography program since my junior year of high school,” Dunlap said. “In the program I’ve learned just about everything from the basics up until now. I’ve learned things like how to develop film, use studio lights, Photoshop, and all the works of a camera,” Dunlap said.

He also plans on furthering his photography skills in his future in college.

“I’ve always liked taking pictures,” Dunlap said. “I plan on taking photography classes in college and thanks to the GlenOak photography program, I know I’ll be successful.”

[Updated Aug. 7, 2017: This article has been reformatted for consistency.]