Eight Whitko High School art students won top awards in the 2021 Regional Scholastic Art Contest in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio. From left: Front — Abigail Frank and Shoshana Keim; back — Morgan Dyck, Kylie Fugett, Reese Bradford, Matt Collier and Nathaniel Moore. Not pictured: Cai Davis.

News Release

SOUTH WHITLEY — Whitko High School art students have won numerous awards in an Indiana and Ohio contest.

The high school art department recently competed in the 2021 Regional Scholastic Art Contest in Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio.

More than ​3,317 individual art ​entries were submitted from 200 schools around the area. Whitko students continued their tradition of success, winning​ ​numerous awards​, including ​five​ Gold Keys (National Finalist) and one Silver Key.

For highlights, Morgan Dyck received three awards: one Gold Key and two Honorable Mentions. The five Gold Key winners’ art pieces will​ now proceed to national adjudication in New York City.

Winning pieces from the local competition will be on display at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. The exhibition will be up Feb. 13-April 10. Hours are: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday; and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

​“I​’m proud of my students’ pursuit for excellence,​” said Whitko art teacher Daniel Malicki. “The FWMoA’s Scholastic region has collected one of the highest in national awards totals in the county over the past several years now. This is quite an honor, they should all be proud of receiving any of the awards.”

Winners from the competition included:

• Reese Bradford, junior, drawing and illustration, “Top Dog,” Honorable Mention.
• Matt Collier, senior, drawing and illustration, “Autumn Blues,” Gold Key.
• Cai Davis, junior, drawing and illustration, “Oil Spots,” Honorable Mention.
• Cai Davis, junior, printmaking, “Abandoned,” Silver Key.
• Morgan Dyck, junior, drawing and illustration, “Peaking at the Pandemic,” Gold Key.
• Morgan Dyck, junior, drawing and illustration, “Puddle of Joy,” Honorable Mention.
• Morgan Dyck, junior, printmaking, “Burning Down Under,” Honorable Mention.
• Abigail Frank, sophomore, drawing and illustration, “A Classic,” Honorable Mention.
• Kylie Fugett, junior, drawing and illustration, “Prideful Peacock,” Gold Key.
• Shoshana Keim, junior, drawing and illustration, “Under the Spotlight,” Gold Key.
• Nathaniel Moore, junior, drawing and illustration, “Until Next Time,” Gold Key.