(Photos by Ellen Cedergreen for WSB. This is “Summer,” Best in Show and Gervais Award winner, by Maddy Jones of Seattle Lutheran)
This week, ArtsWest Gallery in The Junction is full of work by local high-school students, and tonight was the reception/awards ceremony for the juried exhibit. Ellen Cedergreen was there for WSB and reports that there were a total of 14 winners in all from our area’s three major high schools: Chief Sealth International, Seattle Lutheran, and West Seattle High.

The show was judged by West Seattle-based artist RobRoy Chalmers. Arts West’s Nichole DeMent told WSB she chose him due to his visibility in so many different avenues in the arts, his potential for good leadership, and because he is “a fantastic artist.” Chalmers and DeMent handed out the monetary awards to the students, with “Best in Show” receiving a special award.

All award money came from the now defunct but still contributing Federated Women’s Club of West Seattle, but the group’s leader Joan Springer and her husband, Dr. Wilbur Springer, donated a special $100 prize to the Best in Show recipient. Springer told WSB the award is called “The Gervais Inspiration Award,” given in honor of the monumental work done by now -retired WSHS art teacher Mike Gervais, legendary for his support to students in the arts, going well above and beyond the call of duty. The remaining winners received monies totaling $250 in all, and special bonus gift certificates added by Roy.

Before the students received their awards, Roy outlined his criteria for judging. He assured the students that all judging was done ‘blindly’ with no knowledge of a student’s personal information, school, grade, etc. He then complimented the group on the strength of their work, while highlighting his three criteria: Skill set (how well the students worked within their respective medium); a sense of having a strong voice; and finding their own voice beyond the medium.

Many students were not able to be in attendance to receive their awards, including Best in Show winner, Maddy Jones. She won the $100 “Gervais Inspiration Award” for her acrylic painting “Summer” (photo atop this story), but was unable to attend tonight’s ceremony due to a track event.

There were two-way ties for 1st, and 2nd places, and a three-way tie for 3rd. Here’s one of the first-place winners, Daniel Nguyen of WSHS, with his drawing “Fruit”:

Daniel told WSB he was surprised to have won because “the funny thing is, these are random drawings I did right before going to sleep.” The other first-place winner was also from WSHS, Maryam Toulas.

Here’s Chief Sealth’s Allie Bunch:

Her digital photograph “American Dreaming” was one of three third-place winners, along with work by fellow Sealth student Vane Khouansysombath and Danielle Lewis from WSHS.

The second-place winners were Amy Wolanin from Sealth and Justin Harbright from WSHS.

Honorable mentions went to Holly Tsuchida and Sam Depew from Seattle Lutheran; Biruktawit Mengistu, Calvin Sewell, and Anna Robinson from WSHS; and Xahil McDonald from Chief Sealth.

You have two more days to see the students’ work at ArtsWest Gallery – Friday and Saturday. Meantime, the gallery provided a full list of this year’s student participants:

Chief Sealth International High School

Clay Hutchins
Lizzy Menstell
Naima Nazouri-Hill
Meru Simone
Gabby Price
Kevin Truong
Sara Schendel
Allie Bunch
Vane Khouansysombath
William “Bo” Busko
Tasha Addington-Ferris
Emily Anderson
Gisela Castro
Bao-Dung Le
Audrey Aamot
Xahil McDonald
Madeline Ormbrek
Amy Wolanin
Tore Kelln
Chi Nguyen

Seattle Lutheran High School

Jessica Mikler
Maddy Jones
Monika Keller
Jihyun Lee
Camille Pahl
Holly Tsuchida
Dieu Trinh
Kyle Trent
Nhi Dinh
Colleen Lyell
Sam Foy
Zheng Xu
Anh Nguyen
Brian Simmonds
Sam Depew
Tyler Andrews
Sara Herrschaft

West Seattle High School

Alia Paddock
Edgar Castillo
S’Noviah Rounds
Nelsy Segura Garrido
Sejin Park
Johnny Le
Hibo Mohamed
Calvin Sewell
Hussein Al-Kinani
Daniel Nguyen
Jillian Rafanan
Anna Robinson
Maryam Toulas
Biruktawit Mengistu
Jamie Carter
Sudi Mohamednur
Tim DeAsis
Justin Harbright
Danielle Lewis
Melissa Cuevas