Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School sophomore Tova Katzman of Vineyard Haven was nominated this week by the Boston Globe for the prestigious American Visions art award for her black-and-white digital photograph, With the Sheep, which was designated best of show by the judges. She is the first Island student artist ever to be nominated for this important national award. She was one of only five nominees from New England, and the only photographer. One winner from the New England region will be chosen at the national competition in March.
Two regional high school seniors were awarded Gold Keys — the top award — for their senior art portfolios: Ray Ewing, the son of Elizabeth Bradley of Edgartown, for his eight-photograph black-and-white series, Flying Girl Prototype, and Janelle Fortes, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alan Fortes of Vineyard Haven, for her drawing and painting portfolio. Janelle is co-editor-in-chief of the upcoming 2009 regional high school yearbook together with Emmie Schreck. Ray is a senior member of the Center for Creative Expression’s photography field group, Wednesday Group, and is currently preparing for a solo photography exhibit at Featherstone which opens March 14.
There were also three Gold Keys awarded for individual works. Sophomore Mike Leahy-Patnaude, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Patnaude of Edgartown, for his digital photograph, Coffee Club; Nicole Pachico for her digital photograph, Steamship Reflection; senior Emmie Schreck, daughter of Susan Shreck of Edgartown, for her 3D design, Shreck Four-Shelf Bookshelf; and junior Naomi Scott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Francis Scott of Aquinnah, for her mixed-media work, Locked in Poverty.
Both portfolios and all four artworks will go on to national judging in March in New York city. Students earning national medals will be celebrated at Carnegie Hall in June 2009.
Two students won Silver Keys in Boston: Hannah Marlin, for her photograph of a running dog; and senior Jessica Seidman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Seidman of Vineyard Haven, for her apparel design titled Tranquility. Both works will also be on exhibit in Boston.
Finally, Tova Katzman won Honorable Mention for her digital photograph In the Kitchen, as did freshman Lily Gazaille, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Gazaille of Edgartown, for her digital photograph Dirty Girl, which she created in cooperation with her fellow freshman Maggie Johnson.
There were also two award-winners at the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School: Sydney Dunbrack won a Gold Key for his drawing titled, Collage Illustration, and Anna Hughes won an Honorable Mention for her drawing Journey of a Black Man.
More than 100,000 works of art and writing were submitted this year by creative teenagers from across the country to compete in the regional Scholastic Art competitions.
An exhibit of all the regional Gold and Silver Key winners will open in early February at the State Transportation building in Boston, and the award ceremonies will be held Sunday, Feb. 8. (The Silver Key awards are at noon at John Hancock Hall at 180 Berkeley street, just a short walk or free trolley ride from the exhibit, and the Gold Key awards are at 2 p.m. also at the John Hancock Hall.)
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