MPH Student Artists Receive High Praise at Scholastic Art Competition

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for students in grades 7–12. Each year in Central New York, thousands of pieces of art (5,560 this year) are submitted by hundreds of student artists, representing nearly 90 area schools. Artwork is judged by professional artists and educators. This year, a record 1,885 works in 19 categories were recognized. Winners were announced at an awards ceremony on Thursday, January 11 at Onondaga Community College. These works will be on exhibit through March 2 at OCC’s Whitney Applied Technology Center.

Competing against some extremely large school districts, MPH received an impressive number of recognitions and was the 8th most awarded school overall!   You can view the award winning work here.

The curiosity, engagement, creative problem-solving, and hard work that went into these students’ art is more evidence of what we have come to call “the MPH Effect.”

Congratulations to this year’s awardees:

Special Recognition:

  • Top Photography Portfolio: This represents the one student whose photography portfolio is deemed best of all the photography portfolios
    Harry Chen – Portfolio – Flame Valley
  • Top Painting: This represents the one student whose painting is deemed best of all the high school paintings
    Ennis Yu- Painting – Grief
  • Syracuse Cultural Workers Award: This award recognizes art and design that furthers social justice work
    Ennis Yu – Portfolio – Injustice

Portfolio Awards: Recognizes a body of 8 pieces from a senior’s high school art and design career

  • Ennis Yu – Gold Key Visual Art Portfolio – Injustice
  • Sarah Smith – Gold Key Photography Portfolio – Intimacy
  • Sarah Smith – Gold Key Art Portfolio – Milk
  • Harry Chen – Gold Key Photography Portfolio – Flame Valley

Gold Key:  Represents the top 10% of entries and will move on to compete at the national level

  • Ennis Yu – Painting – Hands Up! Eyes Closed
  • Ennis Yu – Painting – Grief
  • Sarah Smith – Photography Intimacy #7
  • Sarah Smith – Design – Merak Makeup Company Ads
  • Madeline Roberts – Painting – Reality
  • Autumn Kerr – Photography – Loosen Up
  • Autumn Kerr – Photography – Collapse
  • Autumn Kerr Photography – Beyond the Veil
  • Iris Fan – Photography – Men
  • Harry Chen – Photography – Flame Valley #1
  • Harry Chen – Photography – Flame Valley #8
  • Andrew Benincasa – Photography – Van and Sky

Silver Key:

  • Natalie Storie – Digital Art – Trapped
  • Nathan Sonnenfeld – Photography – Moher Cliffs
  • Sarah Smith –  Photography – Intimacy #8
  • Sarah Smith – Photography – In Your Hands
  • Sarah Smith – Photography – Float
  • Sarah Smith – Sculpture – Cup and Chalice
  • Angelina Shenandoah – Drawing and Illustration  – My Colorful Friend
  • Madeline Roberts – Painting – Candy Coated
  • Lyla O’Hara – Painting – Pursuit of happiness
  • Jack Murray – Mixed Media – Clock Man Rides the Subway
  • Jack Murray – Mixed Media – Clock Man Goes to the City
  • Liz Li – Drawing and Illustration – Women and Gloral
  • Autumn Kerr – Photography – Sink
  • Autumn Kerr – Mixed Media – Displaced
  • Iris Fan – Photography – Yacks
  • Harry Chen – Photography – Flame Valley #2
  • Harry Chen – Photography – Flame Valley #3
  • Harry Chen – Photography – Flame Valley #4
  • Harry Chen – Photography – Flame Valley #5

Honorable Mention: 

  • Abigail Hinshaw – Painting – Alter Ego
  • Olyvia Brundin – Painting – Alter Ego
  • Ennis Yu – Photography – Housework
  • Ennis Yu – Drawing and Illustration – Damon Station, Chicago
  • James Wildhack – Digital Art – Bird
  • Andrew Warren – Digital Art – Untitled
  • Nathan Sonnenfeld – Photography – House Work
  • Sarah Smith – Photography – Intimacy #1
  • Sarah Smith – Photography – Curves
  • Angelina Shenandoah – Photography – Coming Through
  • Ben Rudnick – Drawing and Illustration  – Mosh Pit
  • Jack Murray – Mixed Media – Clock Man
  • Grace Montas – Drawing and Illustration  – Crystals
  • Emilia Hafner – Photography- Flower of Life
  • Emilia Hafner – Photography – Eyes of a Flower
  • Andrew Benincasa – Photography – Rain