0
0
by Athena De Groff
This year, seniors and juniors from 104 Utah high schools entered the 49th annual Utah All-State Art Show.
Due to the unique circumstances of this year, students submitted their work digitally and there was an online jurying system. Furthermore, the entire show is available to view online, unlike previous years.
This year, junior Casey Mitchell was admitted into the show with his digital photography piece titled “Mem’ry in Light.”
Mitchell started taking photographs for his photography class last year, but the art form has always been a part of his life.
“I was kind of raised on photography,” Mitchell said. “My dad’s a photographer, so I was always out in the field with him helping him do portraits and lighting and that kind of thing. I guess my whole life I’ve been doing photography.”
Getting into the show has helped Mitchell realize that taking photos and entering more shows is something he wants to continue.
“I really didn’t think of myself as an artist and I still really don’t,” Mitchell said, “but it gives me the idea that if I’ve done it once, I can do it again, and so it’s kind of inspired me to keep going.”
The Springville Art Show provides students from all over the state with the opportunity to enter their artwork and see how it compares to others’ work. This year, there were 892 entries, out of which 325 were accepted.
“It’s nice because you have kids from here that are competing against the 5A schools down to the 1A schools, and they’re all competing at the same level,” said visual arts teacher Paul Allred.
The Springville Art show is a great way to earn scholarships and gain experience for all juniors and seniors.
“It’s good for scholarships,” Allred said. “It’s good for Sterling Scholar stuff, art scholarships, or even if you’re just a hobbyist––It can show you how well you do compared to other people.”
Although art shows are a great way for students to showcase their work, it can be difficult to predict how the jurors will respond to a piece.
“You never know what the jurors are going to pick,” Allred said. “It’s somebody’s opinion in the end, so you need to have a thick skin, to a degree, and not take it personally.”
The number of spots that each school gets to enter is determined by the number of juniors and seniors from the previous year. Next year there will be another opportunity for NS juniors and seniors to enter the Springville Art Show.
“I would say, if you’re thinking about entering, talk to Allred next year and see if he’s got any open spots,” Mitchell said. “It’s really awesome––totally worth it.”
