Art students competed at VASE (Visual Arts Scholastic Event), a regional art competition, on the morning of Feb. 13 at Timberview High School. Students were surprised when Mr. Dave Mason, a former art teacher at Legacy, came to support the competing students.
“I wanted to be here to support everyone because I know they have great pieces and I miss you all,” Mr. Mason told a Legacy student.
Legacy students were offered a donut by Ms. Veselka and her son as they entered the building and checked in to receive their art and name tag. She directed them to a line reaching halfway around the cafeteria, passing the karaoke machine, where they would slowly trickle down into a hallway to be signed in.
“I’m jealous of that cup of coffee you have there,” the attendant directing the students said to a girl with a Beatles coffee cup as he pointed her to the correct table.
Students were required to set their pieces down on a table for the one signing them in to look at, along with a piece of paper with information about the piece.
“You guys amaze me,” one of the men signing students in said to the girl. “You did this in one week? I could never make something like this.”
He sorted her pieces out, one on top of the other and handed them back to the girl, apologizing for being a “neat freak”.
The competitors then walked down a hallway, turning once, before finding another table, this time with Timberview students directing competitors on where to find their room for the judging.
Walking down the hall, contestants can be seen sitting with their papers and covered artwork outside of rooms labeled by the room number and judge’s specific specialities. Students entered the competition with each piece under one of the specialities: Digital Media, Photography, Jewelry, Sculpture, Drawing & Painting, or Graphic Design.
A sense of unity fills the halls, competitors all talking to one another despite what school they come from or medium they use. They can be heard comforting one another. They can be heard discussing styles and techniques. Occasionally, they unveil their pieces and show one another.
“Just be confident,” one girl told another, comforting her. “That’s what the judges want to see.”
“Runners” in bright pink shirts “run” judged artwork from the classrooms through the hallways of students down to the main floor where the art will be kept.
Only one student at a time was interviewed in the judging rooms, and the lines grew fairly long despite having many rooms available.
“Don’t worry about your assigned room number,” a woman said to students in a particularly long line. “Just find a judge with your speciality and a short line. The hallway over there barely has anyone in it.”
A door opened, and a man beckoned a young girl inside the room, situated like a normal classroom, but with two desks brought forward: one for the judge and one for the student. A box of tissues sat on the judge’s desk. He requested that the girl place her piece on the board and started asking questions.
“It’s all about natural beauty,” she told him, responding to one of his questions. “The flowers and the curves on the girl’s face all come together to represent the congruity and beauty found in nature.”
More questions were asked and answers were given, and the judge shifted to giving advice and complements.
“The symbolism found in this piece is something we don’t usually see in high school competitions, and it really shows maturity in your art,” he told her before continuing onto other aspects of the portrait she had painted, such as the quality of the lines she had used and the techniques.
She left the portrait with him when she walked out, and repeated the process with a female judge on her second piece of submitted art before returning to the cafeteria to see Ms. Veselka and turn in her nametag, excitedly talking about how the interviews had gone.
Advanced to state:
Madison Fielding
Hannah Garcia
Kelsey Myers
Jeimmy Castane De Flores
