State of the Art

Pomfret student wins top award in statewide art competition.

Two Pomfret students’ art pieces earned recognition at the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards exhibition; one received best in show honors in the mixed media category. More than two thousand pieces of original artwork created by middle and high school artists from across the State of Connecticut were submitted to the competition this year. Five hundred entries were selected on merit for inclusion in the art exhibition.

"Resewn" by Simiao Li received the CAEA Best in Mixed Media award and a Gold Key.

The mixed media art piece entitled “Resewn” created by Simiao Li ’24 received a Gold Key and was named Connecticut Arts Education Association (CAEA) Best in Mixed Media. Her piece featuring a doll using a sewing machine to sew herself back together is made up of a painted canvas, fabric, and thread. She got the idea for her submission while working on a sewing project with her friends over Thanksgiving break. Simiao began by sketching thumbnail concepts before starting her oil painting. She added fabric to the canvas and stitched thread — literally sewing the painted canvas.

While Simiao is new to the mixed media style, she is not new to the national Scholastic Arts competition. Previously she earned Gold and Silver Keys for her paintings and sketches in the Massachusetts competition in 2020. “This project is really different from what I usually do. I am used to improving my painting skills by doing photo studies,” shared Simiao. “This piece was more of a personal expression.”

"bond" by Eric Hong received a Silver Key.

Junior Eric Hong’s digital art piece entitled “bond” was also selected for the exhibition and received a Silver Key. Eric worked with the Orange Cube Art Studio to help create his submission that portrays relationships and friendships with others who support him. He prefers to express himself through pencil drawing and drew “bond” on his iPad. After sketching the piece, he used Procreate, Photoshop, and Illustrator software to create his masterpiece.

“I was so excited when I received the email that I received the award,” said Eric. This is his first statewide art competition, and he hopes to participate in future contests. “I love art and trying new and different types of drawing.”

The student artwork was juried by professional artists from the CAEA and University of Hartford’s Hartford Art School faculty. Gold and Silver Keys, as well as Honorable Mention, recognitions were awarded in eighteen media categories. Simiao’s, Eric’s, and the other selected artwork will be on display at the Silpe Gallery at the University of Hartford until Friday, February 4, 2022. A virtual awards ceremony will be held on Saturday, February 12 at 2:00 p.m.

The Connecticut Regional Scholastic Awards program is an arts education-based non-profit that hosts a professionally juried event each year that recognizes only the best Connecticut student artwork. They are an affiliate partner of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, which hosts the nation’s longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.