North Clackamas
School District
NCSD Student Artists Earn Top Honors in Oregon's Largest Student Art Show
Students From Alder Creek Middle School & Nelson High Recognized at 10th Annual Clackamas ESD Regional Art Show
North Clackamas School District student artists recently shined at the 10th annual Clackamas ESD Regional Art Show, earning multiple honors in artistic styles ranging from sculpture to photography to illustration. Students from Alder Creek Middle School and Adrienne C. Nelson High School were recognized in grade-level and medium-specific award categories, including first-place honors and top awards for ceramics and sculpture and mixed media.
Alder Creek Students Earn Top Honors and Medium Specific Awards
Alder Creek 7th grader Chloe Penix earned first place in the 7th Grade Artist category and received the Best in Ceramics and Sculpture award.
“For this sculpture, I was creating an animal dressed in traditional clothing to represent Hebrew culture,” said Penix. “When I was looking for an animal that is important to Israeli history, a gazelle kept popping up. It signifies an ancient symbol of grace and speed.”
“I felt really excited because I worked really hard on the piece and I’m looking forward to getting it back home so I can show my friends and the rest of my family that haven’t seen it yet,” added the spirited sculptor.
Eighth grader Addalyn Hoesly earned second place in the 8th Grade Artist category and received the Best in Mixed Media award for “Collage Portrait of Lizzo,” inspired by artist Bisa Butler.
“I think it was one of my best works,” said Hoesly. “I spent a lot of time on that one and it was a really big honor to win two awards.”
The ceramics and sculpture and mixed media awards were among five new medium-specific awards introduced this year to recognize student excellence across different artistic categories.
Nelson High Students Recognized in Competitive High School Categories
Two Nelson High School students also earned recognition in grade-level categories.
Hailey Liang, a 9th grader, earned second place in the 9th Artist category for a unique close-up photo of a toy car soaring off a ramp.
“It was a photo that I worked together to take with a friend, and we used a fast shutter speed to capture it and it looks really cool because it’s a green car against a blue background.”
Tenth grader Kenna Boka earned third place in the 10th Grade Artist category for her drawing of a 12-year-old Indian girl named “Kajal.”
“When I saw Kajal, I saw a flower in a field in a way,” said Boka. “She just stood out to me, reminded me of my sister her age. As I
looked at her I saw that she was different though, different but the same in many ways. I remembered being her age and I tried to make an art piece based on that.”
“I was super happy and I was so glad to enter the competition,” added Boka. “My dad made my art piece the background on his phone because he was so happy as well, and it just made my whole day and my whole week.”
About the Clackamas ESD Art Show
Recognized as the largest student art show throughout Oregon, the CESD Regional Art Show featured 232 entries from middle and high school students across 29 schools and all 10 public school districts in Clackamas County. Student artwork included painting, drawing, photography, digital art, graphic design, ceramics, sculpture, three-dimensional work, and mixed media.
“As Oregon’s largest student art show, this event represents something truly special,” said Larry Didway, superintendent of Clackamas ESD. “It brings together students from every corner of Clackamas County and gives the community a chance to see the talent, perspective and promise in our schools.”
Now in its 10th year, the Clackamas ESD Regional Art Show has featured more than 1,600 student artworks over the past decade. The show celebrates student creativity across Clackamas County and gives young artists an opportunity to share their work with the wider community.
A panel of judges evaluated entries based on visual impact, originality, composition, technique, use of materials and mastery of design principles.
Award winners received prizes and opportunities contributed by regional arts partners, colleges and community sponsors, including Clackamas Community College, Clackamas River Basin Council, Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts, OK You, One River School of Art and Design, Pacific Northwest College of Art and Venvino Art Studio.
“It’s so cool I got $300 off of any upcoming art class, so that will cover lessons for a month!” said a thrilled Penix. “I also got a pottery kit with all the beginner tools, including some that I didn’t know existed because we don’t have them at my school, so I’m really excited!”
So are all of us in NCSD! Congratulations to all of our students who entered the CESD Regional Art show this year.