Winners for the annual Scholastic Art Awards, the largest regional and national art competition, were announced today. Out of 1,220 submissions in the mid and southern Willamette Valley, McMinnville High School (MHS) students won a number of prestigious awards. Work is rated for originality, technical skill and student voice.

This year, MHS students garnered the first Gold Keys (first prizes) in three years, as well as an American Visions nomination for Mya Clover-Owens.

Individual Gold Key and Silver & Gold Key Portfolio winners move on to the national competition to showcase work at Carnegie Hall in New York City in May. These students include Mya Clover-Owens (The Ceram Fam art portfolio and “Impressed Vase”), Lillian Hallett (“mood”), Allie Pope (“Hold me Down”) and Chloe Zinda (“Poisoned Pollution”).

“An ‘American Visions’ award is considered the best in show regionally,” said MHS art teacher Christine Kinny.  “Only five are selected across ALL categories, and at the national level, these are juried by a special panel of jurors, and one is chosen as the ‘American Visions Medalist’ from these five.”

Gold Key winners are eligible for a $10,000 scholarship and Gold/Silver portfolios are eligible for a $1,000 award.   “Many colleges will grant merit- based awards on the recognition alone,” said Kinney.

Gold Key winners will also be showcased at the Benton County Historical Society in Philomath from March 11 to April 9, 2016.

A full list of MHS honored artists and works (organized by category) is below:

NaTasha Walker, Untitled, Art Portfolio, Honorable Mention

Chloe Zinda, Root for Earth, Art Portfolio, Honorable Mention

Mya Clover-Owens, The Ceram Fam, Art Portfolio, Silver Key

Mya Clover-Owens, Impressed Vase, Ceramics & Glass, Gold Key and American Visions nominee

Mya Clover-Owens, Sleepy Jar, Ceramics & Glass, Honorable Mention

Lillian Hallett, mood, Drawing and Illustration, Gold Key

Allie Pope, Hold Me Down, Drawing and Illustration, Gold Key

Chloe Zinda, Poisoned Pollution, Drawing and Illustration, Gold Key

Lissette Gomez, Self Portrait, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Lissette Gomez, The Thoughts In My Head, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Lissette Gomez, Filled with life, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Lissette Gomez, Filled with life 2, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Lissette Gomez, Girl painting, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Haley Madland, Girl With Sunglasses, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Haley Madland, Sketch Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Haley Madland, Flower Power, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Allie Pope, I Am Above, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Allie Pope, Break Down, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Heaven Smalling, Spiral, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Heaven Smalling, Sisterly Love, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Alicia Vargas, Self Portrait, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Alicia Vargas, The Turtleneck Torture, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Alicia Vargas, Church, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

NaTasha Walker, Tea Wins in Coffee v. Tea, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

NaTasha Walker, Patterned Fruit, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

NaTasha Walker, Floating Jellyfish, Drawing and Illustration, Honorable Mention

Haley Madland, Back To Your Roots, Drawing and Illustration, Silver Key

Haley Madland, Hanniel, Drawing and Illustration, Silver Key

Skylar Peak, Express Yourself!, Drawing and Illustration, Silver Key

Allie Pope, Adventure, Drawing and Illustration, Silver Key

NaTasha Walker, Feeling Blue, Drawing and Illustration, Silver Key

Chloe Zinda, Forest in Flames, Drawing and Illustration, Silver Key

Heaven Smalling, Untitled, Painting, Honorable Mention

Morgan Williams, Sunflowers, Painting, Honorable Mention

Morgan Williams, Puzzled Cow, Painting, Honorable Mention

Chloe Zinda, Plastic Bag Masquerade, Painting, Honorable Mention

Morgan Williams, Autumn Childhood, Painting, Silver Key

Morgan Williams, k-9 expression, Painting, Silver Key

Heaven Smalling, Cat Recording, Photography, Honorable Mention

Heaven Smalling, Untitled, Photography, Honorable Mention

Heaven Smalling, Christmas Reflections   Photography, Silver Key