Students take home awards at show
<p class="p1">Whitefish High School senior Jayde Eason's "In Your Eyes" won the Curator's Choice Award at the Hockaday Museum of Art's New Artists 2013 show.</p>
<p class="p1">Columbia Falls High School juniors Olivia Lewis-Peterson and Baylee Brinton's "Peacock" won the People's Choice Award at the Hockaday Museum of Art's New Artists 2013 show.</p>
Three local high school students produced exceptional art pieces for an exhibition at a Kalispell museum.
The Hockaday Museum of Art’s New Artists Show is a venue for local high school artists. The quality of the show is a testament to the caliber of art instruction offered in area schools and the talent of students in the Flathead Valley, a news release from the museum said.
But three students stand out in this year’s batch of young artists: Jayde Eason, a Whitefish High School senior, and Columbia Falls High School juniors Olivia Lewis-Peterson and Baylee Brinton.
Eason’s piece, “In Your Eyes,” which was created with colored pencil, received the Curator’s Choice Award in this year’s show. She will receive a cash award of $100 and a one-year student membership to the Hockaday.
In her artist statement, Eason writes: "Art is like an escape from the stress of everyday life. No matter where I work, I feel like I'm in a sanctuary of peace where I am completely free to create, cultivate and express not only my ideas, but myself. It has always been and will always be a part of me.
“I would like to someday make it into a career, even if it's expanding my commissioning. I chose this piece, because portraits are my preference, and my strength. I love being able to capture human emotion.”
Lewis-Peterson and Brinton collaborated the large cardboard “Peacock” and captured the most votes to win the People's Choice Award. They each win one-year student memberships.
The two young artists said they believe that anything and anyone can influence a person to create something truly unique. In this case, their influence was a peacock that was crafted out of cardboard for a school project. In the future, they plan to be always involved in some sort of art project.
The Hockaday encourages everyone to view the creative diversity represented in the New Artists 2013 Show before it closes May 4. Youths in kindergarten through grade 12 are invited to visit the museum and take advantage of free admission sponsored by Pacific Steel and Recycling.
The museum is located at 302 Second Ave. E., Kalispell. For more information, visit www.hockadaymuseum.org or call 755-5268.