Legacy art students participated in the annual Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) at Timberview on Saturday, Feb. 15. The VASE program allows both high school and middle school students to compete in a district wide art competition sponsored by the Texas Art Education Association (TAEA). Junior Adriance Rhoades entered two of her photographs in the event.
“I feel like VASE is a good opportunity to get your work shown and get credit for it,” Rhoades said.
Each student could submit two works of art including photos, paintings and sculptures. Students answered a questionnaire prior to the competition about their submissions regarding the theme, techniques and critical decisions made while completing their work.
“It was very nerve-wracking [and] kind of intimidating,” Rhoades said. “You’re showing your artwork to people you don’t know in a school full of people you don’t know and getting judged.”
At 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning, Legacy students arrived at Timberview to sign in to the event. The students then proceeded to move to their assigned rooms where judges interviewed them about their artwork. They are then grouped into four divisions based upon experience in art courses. For example, Art I students competed against other Art I students.
“The only complaint I have about it is that everything competes against everything,” Fine Arts teacher David Mason said. “There’s no separation of media.”
Students receive a two-part score: the first consists of the interview and the second being based on the artwork itself. If they score high enough, students medal regionally and their artwork moves on to the second round. The judges then pick roughly ten percent of the pieces from each division, and those advance to the state competition held at Bryan High School on April 4-5. Artwork that places at the state competition tours the state for six months at various events.
“[VASE] is good because it’s recognized by colleges and universities across the country,” Mr. Mason said. “We’re always pleasantly surprised and disappointed every year.”
Fifty-six students competed in the event, with six advancing to state: Kathryne Bryce in Drawing, Katherine Daiy in Painting, as well as Jacob Flores, Kendall Martinson, Kendall Potts, and Michayla Wallace in Ceramics. According to Mr. Mason, Legacy received more gold medals and had more students advance to state than any other Mansfield ISD high school for the seventh year in a row.
“I was kind of disappointed in my results, but it’s positive because of the feedback that you get,” Rhoades said.
