HOPE – Art students in grades K-12 were honored here April 20 at the close of the Arkansas Art Educator’s Southwest Region 5 Student Art Show at the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council Art Depot.
Five students from Clinton Primary School were among the winners, including Shaylene Reza, first place third grade, Best of Show K-6; Analy Beca, first place, kindergarten, Khamya Jackson, second place second grade; Rob Hainen, kindergarten honorable mention; and Tallynn Helmick, third grade honorable mention.
Other CPS entries from the classes of Dana Cox and Diane Hollenstein included works by K’terrius Wingfield, Penelope Tucker, Zachery Ross, Rey Mendoza, Tykel Turner, Brent Smith, Cheyanne Biddle, Trey Hoglund, Julia Bobo, Lyric Carter, Kaithlyn Tolliver, Ella Bramlett, and Zalonte Gayton.
Jennifer West, regional director for AAE Region 5, said eight schools across 11 school districts in southwest Arkansas were represented in the contest. West said the students entered 96 artworks reflecting a number of mediums on paper and canvas, from colored pencil to watercolor to photo-realistic matte.
First place works are automatically eligible for showing at the state competition June 1 at the Clinton Library children’s library.
West said the three-week showing by the SWAAC had received widespread support and the approximately 100 attendees at the awards ceremony was an exciting response for the program’s first showing in Hope.
The contest has typically been conducted in Arkadelphia, SWAAC Executive Director George Smith said.
“When approached, the Southwest Arkansas Arts Council decided it was exactly the type of show we wanted to display, if possible,” Smith said. “The art teachers’ officers were extremely helpful to the gallery committee, chaired by Tamara Reed, in helping arrange the works of art.”
Smith said the SWAAC was pleased with the result.
“The artworks include K-12, and the expanse of artistic talent is absolutely stunning,” he said. “The works by students in the K-5 grades are outstanding, and show the dedication of public schools to promoting the arts.”