Fox Chapel Area High School students earn regional art awards

Fox Chapel Area High School students took home honors from 2023 Pittsburgh Region of the Scholastic Art Awards.

Some students earned several awards, referred to as keys, for their portfolios and submissions. Thirty-nine Fox Chapel Area students were recognized in total.

Andy Warhol participated in the event when he was only 17, said Christine Smith, Fox Chapel Area art teacher and art department head.

“Who knows who will be the next up-and-coming artist out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?” she said.

Senior Mikhail Ion, who earned three gold keys, felt confident his work and the outcome.

“No, I wasn’t surprised for the most part,” he said. “I spent most of the free time I had during school to sit and paint pieces with a narrative. It was a lot to prepare but the paintings were mostly done for myself, so I didn’t feel any pressure to create anything that was especially for the scholastic awards.”

Senior Jonathan Li also won a gold key

“I prepared for the contest by painting three to four hours weekly throughout the year,” Li said. “It was a fun process coming up with all the ideas and seeing the artworks come together. I was surprised that I won a gold key for that piece because it was a digital piece and one I spent less time on.”

Other gold key winners were senior Siheng Chao, juniors Mia Pietropaolo, Alesandra Sroufe and Gabriella Urso, who won two gold keys; and freshmen Akshay Lath and Raina Guzman.

The award winners were selected by a panel of judges, which included artists, art educators, and art professionals. Students from approximately 50 schools in the Pittsburgh area participated.

Fox Chapel Area’s art department offers drawing, painting, ceramics, computer art, photography, and jewelry courses, said Smith.

”When we see exceptional art projects come to fruition, we always encourage our students to pause, reflect, and appreciate their accomplishments,” she said.

The competition is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It is the biggest national competition that Fox Chapel’s art department participates in, Smith said.

The students are scheduled to be honored at a special ceremony 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 at Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts & Kresge Theater. The artwork can be viewed that day from noon-1 p.m. and again after the ceremony until 4 p.m.

Gold Key winners move on to the national competition. National winners are invited to New York City for an awards ceremony, where their art will be displayed, Smith said.

In addition to Smith, the Fox Chapel Area High School art faculty is made up of Joan Marangoni, Mary Jo Montgomery, Sarah Stewart, and Amy Wickman.