By LINDSAY CAREY
STAFF WRITER
The Board of Education recognized students from the Southington High School (SHS) Art Department for winning awards in the Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards Show held at the University of Hartford.
SHS Art teacher Tom Horanzy said described the six students who won as having “shown great skill, great creativity and a passion for art work” at the celebration of excellence for the students at the Board of Education meeting on March 12.
With over four hundred participants in the awards show, six students from SHS won awards ranging from gold key, silver key, and honorable mention. One student even won two awards.
Shelby Thurston won a gold key for her charcoal self-portrait. Sarah Kaufmann won a silver key for a digital photograph “Haunted.”
Skye Farago won two awards, a silver key for her oil pastel drawing “Blossom Tree” as well as an honorable mention for her charcoal self-portrait “Criss Cross Apple Sauce.”
Allie Abacherli received an honorable mention for her oil pastel “Carousel Horse,” and Steven Drozen received an honorable mention for his self-portrait “Me N Stuff.” Jocelyn Gregor received an honorable mention oil pastel drawing of a forest picture called “Quinniapiac in the Back,” which depicts the Quinnipiac River in the background of the drawing.
“As a parent who had a daughter that took art at Southington High School for many years, I know the work that you put in and the example you set is one that we in Southington are proud of,” said Board of Education Chairman Brian Goralski at the celebration of excellence ceremony. Goralski also said that these students’ achievement reflects positively on the art program in the Southington Public School system.
“On the behalf of the Board, I want to tell you that one of the greatest prides we have is seeing our artists here that stay in Southington and don’t choose a magnet school, don’t choose to go somewhere else, that stay here and show how great our department and our program is,” Goralski said. “You represented our school with great dignity to have [six] of you win in a state wide competition shows that we have great things in this district.”
Skye Farago displays her awards from the Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards Show. She won a silver key for her oil pastel drawing “Blossom Tree” and an honorable mention for her charcoal self-portrait. Photo by Lindsay Carey.
“Carousel Horse” by Allie Abacherli (Honorable mention)
“Quinnipiac in the Back” by Jocelyn Gregor (Honorable mention)
“Haunted” by Sarah Kaufmann (Silver Key winner)
Self portrait by Shelby Thurston (Gold Key winner)
“Blossom” by Sky Farago (Silver key winner)
Self portrait by Skye Farago (Honorable mention)
Self portrait by Steven Dorzens (Honorable mention)