Art students Meghan Schmidt, Shaniya Scruggs, and Emilia Ramos were selected to have their art displayed in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Virginia Beach.
The awards, hosted by Hampton Roads Student Gallery, are presented each year to juniors and seniors from across the region whose outstanding artwork is chosen by a panel of art experts.
The Student Gallery presents the six student finalists and 20 honorees with the opportunity to display their artwork in area museums.
Art teacher Mrs. Stith described the rubric the judges use: “You have to meet a lot of criteria to be recognized - excellence in craftsmanship, superior concept, and a certain aesthetic. You know, it's got to look good.”
CHS students Schmidt, Scruggs, and Ramos were three of the 20 honorees chosen this year.
Meghan Schmidt
Meghan Schmidt is an 11th grade student currently taking Advanced Art III. She created a sculpture called ‘A Gift from Mother Nature.’ In her artist statement she wrote, “I would like for ‘Gift from Mother Nature’ to help people recognize that something women can’t control shouldn’t be considered as embarrassing or disgraceful.”
Schmidt has taken art classes since her freshmen year and she feels like her skills have greatly improved.
She was inspired by Judy Chicago, an artist known for creating works about feminism and controversial subjects. “I was inspired by the whole idea of feminism and my teacher kind of pushed me to do a sculpture about it.”
Her biggest struggle with this piece was how people would react to her art.
“(It was) definitely overcoming my fear of how people would react to it, because...it’s not like something a typical art student would make.”
Shaniya Scruggs
Senior Shaniya Scruggs has been creating art since the end of middle school. She feels that her art classes have definitely improved her skills.
Scruggs’ interactive sculpture, ‘Claustrophobia Box,’ is a visual display of her sometimes claustrophobic feelings.
She says her biggest struggle was getting her point across. “Since it’s claustrophobia, I feel it, but maybe somebody else doesn’t experience it the same way I want them to, so that’s difficult trying to get that across.”
Emilia Ramos
Emilia Ramos’ watercolor still life piece ‘I Better Get Serious, Running Out of Time’ became something fun for her. It was an assignment for her class but as she worked on it she started to have fun creating it.
Ramos, a junior, doesn’t think she will continue with art in the future. “Doing art like that isn’t what I prefer, but I know that it’s gonna build my confidence personally.”
Photos: Elijah Macklin