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High school artists receive awards

Awards announced for “Eastern Oregon Regional High School Art Exhibition”

Contact: Cory Peeke | Nightingale Gallery Director
541-962-3584 or cpeeke@eou.edu 

February 22, 2016

LA GRANDE, Ore. (EOU) – The “Eastern Oregon Regional High School Art Exhibition,” featuring well over 300 works by students from 13 regional high schools, opened Friday, Feb. 19 in Nightingale Gallery at Eastern Oregon University.

EOU Provost Sarah Witte welcomed gallery visitors with opening remarks. Awards were presented by Nightingale Gallery Director Cory Peeke, who congratulated the students and teachers who help make their participation possible. The university’s art program presented awards to exemplary works by students in grades nine through 12. All Best of Show winners received an award certificate, a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card, a sketchbook, and an EOU T-shirt and lanyard. Honorable Mention recipients received a certificate of award.

Best of Show 12th Grade:
Jessie Perkins (Baker City High) for her ceramic sculpture “Lizardman”

Best of Show 11th Grade:
Selena Giambitti (Union High School) for her acrylic paintings “Witch Doctor” and “Billy Joe Armstrong”

Best of Show 10th Grade:
Ethan Hobson (Echo High School) for his metal sculpture “Metal Ribbon”

Best of Show 9th Grade:
Lindsey Slatter (North Powder High School) for her mixed media piece “Hot Rod”

Honorable Mentions:

Baker City High School
Theodore Brown, 11th grade, for his oil painting “Ethiopian Child”
Emily Carter, 10th grade, for her ceramic sculpture “Warrior”

Cove High School
Lacey Baird, 12th grade, for her photograph “’I saw all the mirrors on earth and none of them reflected me.’- Jorge Luis Borges”
Landrey Gaertner, 10th grade, for her block print “Grammy’s Cinnamon Rolls”

Crane Union High School
Kayla Mims, 12th grade, for her charcoal drawing “Late October”

Grant Union High School
Meisha Meyerholz, 12th grade, for her drawing “Hope”

La Grande High School
Elizabeth Cashell, 10th grade, for her acrylic painting “Empty”
Abbey Felley, 12th grade, for her oil painting “Grazing Water Buffalo”
Melia Insko, 12th grade, for her pen and pencil drawing “Class Tiger”

Pendleton High School
Kacey Robbins, 10th grade, for her photograph “Pendleton Hood”

Union High School
Jenna Monson, 11th grade, for her acrylic painting “Cascade Falls Castle”

Vale High School
Kaylee Harris, 9th grade, for her photograph “Orb”
Alex Wells, 9th grade, for her photograph “Perched”

View more of the artists’ works on the gallery Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/NightingaleGallery.

Now in its eighth year, the La Grande Arts Commission’s Promising Young Artist Award was presented to Elizabeth Cashell of La Grande High School. Cashell’s painting “Empty” was selected by local artist and La Grande Arts Commissioner Jeremy Clark, who also presented the award. The award comes with a certificate and check for $50.

Joining the La Grande Arts Commission this year in presenting special awards are three regional art centers. Union County’s Art Center East presented a $50 Aspiring Young Artist Award to Lindsey Slatter of North Powder High School for her mixed media work “Hot Rod;” Baker County’s Crossroads Art Center awarded a $50 Aspiring Young Artist Award to Brie Sand of Baker City High School for her painting “Waylon Jennings;” and Wallowa County’s Josephy Center for the Arts and Culture presented a $50 Artistically Innovative Award to Benjamin Lopez of Joseph Charter School for his drawing “La Dame Petite.”

Art Center East’s award was selected by Theo Miller, who currently oversees the creative arts classes at the center serving at-risk youth in the community. The award was presented by the Union County Commission. Crossroads Art Center’s award winner was selected by artist Denise Elizabeth Stone and presented by Richard and Kathleen Chaves, owners of Baker City’s Chaves Consulting, recently recognized as one of the “Best Companies in America Supporting the Arts.” Joesphy’s award was selected and presented by Jennifer Hawkins-Connolly, art teacher at Joseph Charter School.

“On behalf of EOU and the Nightingale Gallery, I would like to congratulate the winners and all the student participants,” said Cory Peeke, Nightingale Gallery director. “I would also like to congratulate the art teachers, who on a daily basis, go out of their way to help students create work of such a high caliber.”

Following is a list of area teachers:

Baker City High School – Kristen Anderson
Burns High School – Ben Holtby
Cove High School – Eric Gustavson
Crane Union High School – Connie Robbins
Echo High School – Rick Thew
Enterprise High School – Dianne Pfel
Grant Union High School – J.J. Collier
Joseph Charter School – Jennifer Hawkins-Connolly
La Grande High School – Mike Schireman
North Powder High School – Jessie Street
Pendleton High School – Olivia Rush
Union High School – Jaime Gustavson
Vale High School – Kacie Shaffer

The 2016 “Eastern Oregon Regional High School Exhibition” runs through March 15. Nightingale Gallery hours are 12-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. For more information visit www.eou.edu/art.