Four talented students in FCPS earned gold keys in the 2015 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which qualifies them for the national competition. Congratulations to SCAPA at Bluegrass artists Emma Guinnip for her mixed-media entry “Fishy” and Catherine Mize, mixed media, “Nerves”; and to Lafayette High writers Leila Abou-Jaoude, personal essay/memoir, “Diva,” and Aidan Ziliak, poetry, “Sherman Left His Fingers in Her Jar of Peaches.” Leila also got an honorable mention for her short story titled “31.”
Fayette County artists competed in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky Region. The honorees also included SCAPA’s Michael Lozovoy, with an honorable mention for his painting “Pressure.” More than a dozen other writers also received recognition in the Southeast Region at-large, which covers several states:
SCAPA at Bluegrass
- Katherine Cherry, poetry, “Begging to be Forgotten,” honorable mention;
- Anna Clay, short story, “My Love,” honorable mention;
- Katharine Demos, short story, “Ordinary,” silver key;
- Nicholas Skidmore, science fiction/fantasy, “Beyond the Rainbow,” honorable mention;
- Ella Webster, short story, “The Art of being Alone,” silver key;
- Angie Xiao, science fiction/fantasy, “Light Years to Know,” honorable mention;
- Sarah Yohe, science fiction/fantasy, “Euphoria,” silver key.
Winburn Middle School
- Eleanor Liu, journalism, “KYA Conference #2 2014,” silver key; and critical essay, “Our Coal,” honorable mention;
- Megan Slusarewicz, poetry, “Schizophrenia,” honorable mention; and poetry, “Leaf,” honorable mention.
Henry Clay High School
- Kayla Beebout, poetry, “Words, Bring Me That Horizon,” silver key; and personal essay/memoir, “Creek Language,” honorable mention.
Lafayette High School
- Katrin Flores, science fiction/fantasy, “Porcelain Eyes,” honorable mention;
- Sarah Hall, science fiction/fantasy, “The Opening,” silver key; and flash fiction, “The Town that Hatched a Balloonist,” silver key;
- Kayla Harman, flash fiction, “I Close My Eyes,” honorable mention;
- Ariana Hollars, flash fiction, “Snow,” honorable mention;
- Jenna Tinnell, poetry, “She Was Darker,” honorable mention.
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
- Joanna Slusarewicz, poetry, “Dementia at the Card Table, Soldier,” silver key; and flash fiction, “Mr. Linden’s Bookshop,” silver key; and flash fiction, “Persephone in the Underworld,” silver key; and flash fiction, “A Short Parable for Modern Times,” honorable mention; and poetry, “Letting Go, Whispers into the Void,” honorable mention.
In the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program, which dates to 1923, students in grades 7-12 can enter in more than two dozen categories for a chance to win scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. The judges look for pieces that exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. The awards are sponsored by The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.