Press Release

Pictured is Ana Brito-Rosales with a portrait based on a watercolor lesson from guest speaker Patricia Mills. Photo provided by Warsaw Community Schools.

WARSAW — At the 2023 Scholastic Art Regional Awards, Warsaw Community High School art students received 20 awards in the individual entry categories and a Gold Key in the Senior Portfolio category.

The Gold Key winners go on to the next round of judging at the national level in New York. The recognition for individual student artists is a great honor and students are excited about having their artwork on display at a well-known gallery.

The individual students receiving Gold Key Awards were Alisa Music, Savannah Schuman, Claire Sprankle and Ana Brito-Rosales.

Brito-Rosales created her portrait based on a watercolor lesson from guest speaker Patricia Mills, a talented painter of western art and the owner of Studio Tupos. On Sept. 16, Mills led Swartzentruber’s Painting 1 and 2 classes on a presentation over Edward Curtis, photographer of Native Americans in the early 1900s.

The Silver Key winners were Ella Elliott, Emily Huhn, Sophia Johnson, Chloe Laird, Selah Lewis, Alisa Music, and Aidan Sutton.

Also recognized with Honorable Mention Awards and included in the exhibit were Ellie Burkhart, Hannah Burkholder, Emily Huhn, Chloe Laird, Erica Martinez-Meyo, Jael Namfukwe, Alex Price, Savannah Schuman, and Lucy Vosler.

In addition to the individual entries, the senior in AP Studio Art also submitted their complete portfolios for selection in the very competitive Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio district. The portfolio is a chance for senior students to pull together their finest pieces and package them into a well-organized and thoughtful presentation of their body of work. These are considered for scholarship applications, entrance into fine art programs, and become half of their AP portfolio for college credit.

Ellie Burkhart’s senior portfolio not only made it into the exhibit but was also awarded the Gold Key distinction.

The above students will receive special recognition at a virtual awards presentation on Feb. 19, and the students’ works will be on display at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art from Feb. 11 until April 8.

“We are so proud of the many academic opportunities Warsaw Community Schools provides,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “I am so thankful these works of art by our students and the strong instruction by our amazing teachers are being recognized on a national level.”

“This has been an incredible weekend for our Arts students,” said WCHS Principal Troy Akers. “Andy Tomasik, thank you for your department leadership and for finding these great opportunities for students to showcase their talents. Well done.”