Toppenish High School has achieved what may be a first in the 37-year history of OSPI’s statewide Superintendent’s High School Art Show: The show’s top award being given to a student from the same school for two years in a row.
Toppenish High School 12th grader Yoni Rodriguez created the artwork that is providing the unique back-to-back honors for his school. The student’s winning entry is a graphite drawing titled “Divine Adolescence” that depicts a teenage boy standing in water and looking up at the sky with outstretched arms.
OSPI superintendent Randy Dorn personally selected Rodriguez’s art for the “Superintendent’s Choice Award” from among 106 entries submitted by high school students from throughout all of Washington. The Superintendent’s Choice Award is considered the top prize of the 10 awards presented at the statewide show.
The drawing from Rodriquez is one of eight pieces by south central Washington students that advanced to the state show after being named a regional award winner at the Educational Service District 105 Regional High School Art Show. The local show was held Feb. 7-21 at Yakima’s Allied Arts Center.
“Yoni has been a perfect example of someone who has the drive to create, and the ambition to work hard to achieve great quality work,” said Toppenish High School art teacher Laura Wise. “Yoni is also a poet, and I think his emotion and verbal creativity is evident in his artwork.”
At last year’s statewide art show, Dorn presented the Superintendent’s Choice Award to 2009 Toppenish High School graduate Oscar Ramirez for his colorful surrealistic oil painting titled “A Subtle Reverie.”
The 2010 award to Rodriguez marks the fifth time that one of Wise’s students has earned any award at the state show. Additionally students in Wise’s classes have advanced to the state show for four consecutive years, a streak that currently includes nine students and alumni of Toppenish High School.
“I am honored that my students have done so well,” said Wise. “It reflects their desire to work hard, and to push their artistic abilities. The OSPI show has been a great motivator for our students. I am thrilled we have been able to hold our own while competing with other school across the state.”
Rodriguez will be formally honored during an awards reception to be held at Olympia’s Old Capitol Building on Friday, May 21, from 2 to 4 p.m. OSPI’s 2010 Superintendent’s High School Art Show opens at the Old Capitol Building on April 6 and runs through June 4. “Artworks Extraordinary” is the theme of this year’s show.
The State Board of Education will be purchasing the Rodriguez drawing for $200 and will place it on view in the foyer of the OSPI office building in Olympia for one year with the other 2010 state award winners. All the winning pieces will appear on an OSPI arts calendar that will be made available to schools this fall. The pieces will later be displayed at OSPI offices and state education agency facilities.
The 2010 Superintendent’s High School Art Show also features entries by south central Washington students Carmen Selam of Toppenish High School, Olivia Pratt and McKenzie Christensen of Royal High School, Chelsea Meyer of Grandview High School, Breanna Dallman of Selah High School, Jonathan Abarca of Wahluke High School, and Naiden Gonzalez of Yakima’s Eisenhower High School.
View all entries from our 2010 Regional High School Art Show here.
