Pine-Richland students win regional art awards

Pine-Richland School District students will be honored during the ceremony for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards’ Pittsburgh region, scheduled for March 23 at Carnegie Mellon University.

Artwork by Gold and Silver Key winners is on display in the CMU College of Fine Arts, in the Great Hall and in the third floor foyers, through March 23. The exhibition and awards ceremony are free and open to the public.

Senior Riley Turner received numerous accolades, including Gold Key awards for her digital art pieces “Soulmates” and “Descending Library,” and “The Heart of Gaza” in the editorial cartoon category.

Riley earned Silver Keys for “Natural Reflections” in the art portfolio category, along with “Mother’s Love” and “Escaping the Dungeon in digital art. Her honorable mentions in digital art are for “Fallen Creation,” “Hall of The Mirror” and “Aimless Adventuring.”

Art from her junior-year portfolio is featured on the cover of the Pine-Richland High School PTO directory for 2023-24, according to the group’s Facebook page, which quotes her as saying:

“My work is a series of fantasy illustrations that take the viewer on a journey through an unknown world. I create a narrative of fiction for the viewer to follow an adventure. With the freedom to explore a place more intriguing than our own, I use escapism through fantasy in order to leave behind the stressful and mundane aspects of life. I use the idea of search and exploration to create an escape for the viewer’s imagination.”

Seniors Ella Guo and Logan Blackwell are other recipients of numerous Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Ella’s art portfolio, “My Library,” won a Gold Key, as did her paintings “The Good Earth” and “Metamorphosis.” Earning a Silver Key was “No Longer Human,” and other paintings of hers received honorable mentions: “Wuthering Heights,” “Lolita,” “Respite from Sorrows” and “I Have No Mouth; and I Must Scream.”

Logan won a Gold Key for “In One Ear; Out the Other” and Silver for “Drawing Blood,” both in digital art, along with honorable mentions for “Word Play,” art portfolio, and another digital art piece, “How Hungry?”

Other Pine-Richland winners are:

• Megan Black, 11th grade, Gold Key for “70s Fashion” and Silver Key for “80s Fashion,” both in digital art.

• Kiera Moskala, 11th grade, Gold Key for “The Theater” in the photography category.

• Jay Schwierking, 12th grade, Silver Key for “Bro; I’m Dead” in the sculpture category.

• Charlie Ozelski, 11th grade, Silver Key for “The Patio” in the drawing and illustration category.

• Amelia Doughty, ninth grade, Silver Key for “Sleeping Dog” in the mixed media category.

• Walker Clack, 12th grade, honorable mention for “Bullied” in digital art.

• Avery Hofffman, 12th grade, honorable mentions for “Hubris” and “The Death of Hector,” both in digital art.

• Ren Telles, 12th grade, honorable mention for “The In Between” in sculpture.

• Annie Wu, 12th grade, honorable mention for “Stories from My Mother,” art portfolio.

• Jenna Henry, 11th grade, honorable mention for her paintings “Deep Connections” and “Mediocrisea.”

• Erin Murray, 11th grade, honorable mention for her painting “Hair Healing.”

• Abby Hengelsberg, ninth grade, honorable mention for “Firework Frenzy” in mixed media.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, founded in Pittsburgh in 1923, are the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. The Pittsburgh regional awards are organized by Megan Bonistalli, art teacher at Seneca Valley Senior High School, with support from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Art, the regional exhibition sponsor.