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CJH art students win 16 Gold Keys from regional Scholastic Art Awards


C.J. Hooker Middle School art students won 16 Gold Key Awards, 18 Silver Key Awards, and 30 Honorable Mentions at the regional Scholastic Art Awards under the guidance of art teachers Amber Brown and Michael Perez.

Student art was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

On average, more than 800 works of art are submitted by students in the region for the Scholastic Art Competition. Only two percent of the total submitted artwork is awarded, and less than one percent receive Gold Keys, which enter those students to compete at the national level.

“As teachers we are very proud and honored to have such dedicated and gifted students in our classes,” said Brown. “It is a great achievement and I hope this encourages our students to continue developing their artistic skills and achieve similar results in the future.

“Please join me in congratulating all of the talented students we have here at CJH!”

Gold Key Awards

Amelia Arbizo, grade 8

  • Nature’s Harmony, photography
  • Fading Beauty, photography
  • Tropical Toucan, drawing & illustration
  • Together as One, drawing & illustration
  • Light in the Dark, drawing & illustration
  • Ignorance, editorial cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation

Nathan Cubillo, grade 8

  • The Day the World Changed, artchitecture & industrial design

Lauren Henderson, grade 8

  • What’s even the point?, mixed media

Maggie Lu, grade 8

  • Hypocrite, drawing & illustration
  • Golden Ghosts, photography
  • Antelope, photography
  • Greenhouse, architecture & industrial design

Kaylie Morabito, grade 8

  • Captured Radiance, photography
  • Path to Beauty, photography

Katherine Thornell, grade 8

  • The bubble, sculpture

Julia Wilson, grade 8

  • Maui Fire, painting

Silver Key Awards

Amelia Arbizo, grade 8

  • Street Lights, photography
  • Big Ben, photography
  • The Starry Night, photography
  • Kaleidoscope, photography
  • Enchanted Glow, photography
  • Self-Portrait, drawing & illustration
  • W14, drawing & illustration

Isabella Barbee, grade 8

  • Starlight, photography

Bella Gonzales, grade 8

  • Bella, drawing & illustration

Lauren Henderson, grade 8

  • Golden Hour, photography
  • Chamber of Horrors, painting

Jayden Hopper, grade 8

  • Astronomical Gaming Cat, painting

Maggie Lu, grade 8

  • Golden Waves, photography

Bridget Pettus, grade 8

  • Scary Dinosaurs, painting
  • the war in the middle east, painting

Jaxson Markiewicz, grade 8

  • Untitled #1, ceramics & glass

Sophie Marmo, grade 8

  • Just Focus, sculpture

Kaylie Morabito, grade 8

  • Kaylie, drawing & illustration

Honorable Mentions

Juliet Andryshak

  • Family, painting

Amelia Arbizo

  • The City That Never Sleeps, photography
  • Roman Forum, photography
  • The Eiffel Tower, photography
  • Coastal Beauty, drawing & illustration
  • Lost in Space, painting
  • Peace, drawing & illustration
  • Venom, drawing & illustration
  • Despair, drawing & illustration
  • Treasure from Trash, sculpture

Isabella Barbee

  • Blossoming Twilight, painting

Bella Gonzales

  • The spirit dragon, painting

Lauren Henderson

  • Whispering Woods, photography
  • Melting Conversations, editorial cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation
  • Starry Strings, sculpture

Elizabeth Johnson

  • Musicly Music, drawing & illustration

Alexa Krabbe

  • Electricitree Sr., mixed media

Maggie Lu

  • Looking back, photography
  • Nature, photography
  • Overhang, photography
  • Who knows, photography

Sophie Marmo

  • An apple for your teacher, comic art

Kaylie Morabito

  • Hunger, editorial cartoon sponsored by The Herb Block Foundation
  • Through the Lens, mixed media

Bridget Pettus

  • the freedom of the west, painting

Zara Singh

  • Drifted, drawing & illustration

Ashlee Smith

  • Self Hatred Will Ruin You, drawing & illustration

Amelia Thomas

  • Attending my own funeral, fashion

Katherine Thornell

  • Skull of Felis Catus., drawing & illustration

Maksym Zalusky

  • Doodle Camera Guy, drawing & illustration