Each year, arts students compete in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. They submit paintings, photographs and other works to be judged on their skill and creativity. 

Several pieces from each category are selected to win a Gold Key, which is equivalent to first place. This year, six GlenOak students won the Gold Key award. All art pieces that receive Gold Keys are judged again at the national level. 

“We typically find out if we have any national medalists in March. However, the NYC affiliate has changed all of the online platforms for entering, judging and communicating, so we are unsure of when we will receive notice of national award winners,” art teacher Jill Balderson said.

Senior Sienna Axe received a Gold Key for her photography portfolio. “I kind of went more abstract. I took pictures of abandoned places, like peeling paint off the walls and mold.” Axe is in her second year of the photography career tech. 

Senior Ava Collins received a Gold Key for “A Child’s Place,” an acrylic painting. “It was inspired by myself, and my personal life, and what it’s like to be the oldest child, and the expectations you’re supposed to have,” Collins said. “So, it’s about life being the oldest and all of the responsibilities that come with being the oldest.” Last year, she won a Gold Key from Scholastic, and she plans on painting a mural in Columbus in the spring. 

Senior Eve Dadlez received a Gold Key for her self-portrait “Cure to the Image of Myself,” an oil painting. “I feel like it’s a sentimental piece. I feel like my use of colors is really good. My technique overall is really good,” Dadlez said. “I practice art a lot in my free time, so I know how to do it.” During her junior year, Dadlez won two Gold Keys and two Silver Keys.

Senior Hailey McDaniel received two Gold Keys and two Silver Keys for her photographs. “I was able to portray emotion really well, so I think that stood out to the judges,” McDaniel said. “My inspiration came from the whole topic of mental health in general, and I used that to base my pictures on.” McDaniel is in her second year of the photography career tech. 

Senior Aliyah Priest received Gold Keys for two pieces this year. Her painting “The Blue Bathroom” was inspired by the movie “Moonlight.” The piece is mixed media, meaning it is made with a variety of materials rather than just one type. “It really is just part of my creative process, seeing things that I think might work or look cool in the art,” Priest said. “Some of it was like random pieces of plastic that I found, and then I just like to put it together and see how t looks.” Priest previously received a Gold Key during her freshman year and two during her junior year, including one piece that went on to receive a national gold medal. 

Junior Keira Sweeney received a Gold Key for a cloak titled “Define Yourself.” According to Sweeney, the hemming was done with a sewing machine, but everything else was hand-stitched. “It’s kind of representative of putting an identity on. Cloaks cover your whole body. That represents an identity,” Sweeney said. “So the whole piece actually represents transitioning from being ashamed of your identity to being proud of it.” During her sophomore year, Sweeney received a Silver Key and two honorable mentions.