May 6, 2024 - Comal ISD student artists have received honors from several visual arts contests this spring with three Gold Seal winners in the state Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE) and the state winner of the VFW Young American Creative Patriotic 3D Art Contest advancing to national competition.
Besides VASE and VFW Patriotic Art Contests, student artists participated in the annual New Braunfels Art League’s Teen Spring Gallery Show and the Greater New Braunfels Youth Photography Contest and Exhibition.
State VASE
This year marked the 30th season of state VASE, and Comal ISD had 20 state qualifiers. The 29 regional high school events accepted approximately 30,000 registered entries with 2,632 entries advancing to the state VASE event in San Marcos on April 27, 2024. In addition to student artists, Comal ISD had 16 high school art teachers participate and eight advanced to state VASE.
Only 165 of the state qualifying pieces are awarded the coveted Gold Seal medal. Comal ISD received three including Macey Gill and Emory Matherne from Canyon Lake High School and Madz Patten from Hill Country College Preparatory High School.
New Braunfels Art League Teen Spring Gallery
The New Braunfels Art League hosted its annual Teen Spring Gallery Show April 6-7 for students in 6th-12th-grade students in Comal County. This year 12 Comal ISD art teachers participated and around 100 works of art were included. Nell Anderson, art teacher at Canyon Lake High School, has served as the youth coordinator for the show for the past four years and says she loves seeing the amazing art pieces.
“We had around 30 students at Canyon Lake participate this year, and several won ribbons with cash prizes,” Anderson said.
The art was on display throughout the month of April.
Greater New Braunfels Youth Photography Contest and Exhibition
Two art students from CLHS have advanced to a national competition their photography entries in the Greater New Braunfels Youth Photography Contest and Exhibition which was presented virtually this year. The contest received 266 entries with 36 selected to be printed and displayed.
Maddox Kennedy and Macey Gill have two pieces each advancing to nationals.
Macey Gill received 2nd place in color photographer's choice winning a ribbon, $75 donated by Greater New Braunfels Arts Council and $75 gift card to Finer Works Print Lab in San Antonio.
Gill also won 1st place in landscapes winning a ribbon, $100 donated by the arts council, additional $100 Gift Card to Finer Works Print Lab in San Antonio and a $99 Gift Card for any photography class at Precision Camera plus a free 16 x 20 print.
Comal ISD Art Student Honorees
Canyon High School – art teacher Holly Spandau
- Ilyana Brown, State VASE
Canyon Lake High School – art teachers Nell Anderson and Kara Stracener
- Nyssa Bare, State VFW Patriotic Drawing Art Contest for Auxiliary 6441
- Siara Bartlett, State VFW Patriotic 3D Art Contest for Auxiliary 8573
- Catherine Campbell, 2nd place, ‘Top Hat Toad the Teapot,’ 3-dimensional media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Savannah Cargill, State VASE
- Cearra Farley, State VFW Patriotic Drawing Art Contest for Auxiliary 8573
- Macey Gill, State VASE – Gold Seal; 1st place in landscapes and 2nd place color photographer's choice, Greater New Braunfels Youth Photography Contest and Exhibition – both pieces advancing to national
- Maddox Kennedy, two pieces at State VASE and two pieces advancing to national of Greater New Braunfels Youth Photography Contest and Exhibition
- Layne Leddy, State VASE
- Sophia Leone, 3rd place, Risky Barrel, 3-dimenstional media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Nick Masters, State VASE
- Emory Matherne, State VASE - GOLD SEAL
- Kyndal Mathis, honorable mention, ‘Furry Friend,’ Painting Media, Photography, and Digital Art, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Danielle Moffett, State VASE
- Elijah Moreno, 10, 2 Pieces at State VASE
- Isabella Morin, State VASE
- Makinley Pomrenke, 10, 2 Pieces at State VASE, State VFW Patriotic 3D Art Contest for Auxiliary 6441
- Faith Reese, 1st place, ‘Lil’ Caimen,’ drawing media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Melanie Rivera, 3rd place, ‘Eternal Beauty,’ drawing media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Randie Selzer, State VASE
- Juliana Tellez, State VASE
- Amber Valdez, 2nd place, ‘Life & Death,’ drawing media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Evelyn Wahrmund, State VASE
Davenport High School – art teachers Mark Harrison and Jennifer Walden
- Sally Boatright, honorable mention, ‘Dorian,’ 3-dimenstional media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Zoe Harrison, VFW Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest 3D state winner advancing to national competition; State VASE; Scholastic Art & Writing Silver Key, 2D; best of show, overall winner, ‘Stepping Down,’ Studio Art, Teen Spring Gallery Show; and the Canyon Lake Art Guild Scholarship recipient
- Annelise Gonzalez, State VASE
- Natalie Medrano, State VASE
- Shelby Tucker, 3rd place, ‘Blue Heron,’ Painting Media, Photography, and Digital Art, Teen Spring Gallery Show
Hill Country College Preparatory High School – art teacher Natalie Jones
- Madz Patten, State VASE-GOLD SEAL
Memorial Early College High School – art teachers Ashley Martinez and Lynn Odom
- Kei Ikehata, State VASE
- Tamar Restaino, State VASE
Smithson Valley High School – art teachers Julie Ebarb, Lizette Floyd and Lauren George
- Esmy Arzu, 2nd place, ‘Athena,’ Painting Media, Photography, and Digital Art, Teen Spring Gallery Show
- Maggie Djordjevic, 1st place, ‘Spring Mountains,’ 3-dimensional media, Teen Spring Gallery Show
Congratulations!
Photo Information
-Emory Matherne from Canyon Lake High School earned a Gold Seal for her entry in the state Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE).
-Macey Gill from Canyon Lake High School earned a Gold Seal for her entry in the state Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE).
-Madz Patten from Hill Country College Preparatory High School earned a Gold Seal for her entry in the state Visual Art Scholastic Event (VASE).
-Zoe Harrison from Davenport High School has received numerous honors this year for her artwork including advancing to the national competition for the VFW Young American Creative Patriotic 3D Art contest.
-Zoe Harrison from Davenport High School won the Texas VFW Young American Creative Patriotic 3D Art contest with this piece and has advanced to the national competition.