April 5th marks the NWOC 2024 Northwest Oregon Conference art show. This was held at Wilsonville High School and included multiple local schools, including Wilsonville, Canby, LaSalle, Centennial, Park Rose, and Hillsboro.
At this event, each of these schools brought in their best artists to compete for first, second, and third place in different art categories. These place markers were determined by a Student Choice Award voting, where everyone wrote down who they thought deserved a place on the podium.
Wilsonville students who won awards were: Mia Garcia (12), 1st place in mixed media as well as 2nd place in Digital Design; Barbod Nohpari (12), 1st place in digital media; George Luo (11), 1st place in black & white drawing; Sophia Gordon (12) 1st place in printmaking as well as 1st place in 3D Sculpture; Jack Ricketts (12) 1st place in jewelry & fashion, as well as 2nd place in jewelry and fashion; Josie Peykanu (11) 2nd place in watercolor; Amelia Lounsbury (12) 2nd place in 3D sculpture as well as 3rd place in mixed media; Liam Oien (12) 3rd place in 3D sculpture. Congratulations to these students!
Students had the opportunity to attend an inspiring keynote speech led by Portland artist V. Maldonado about their experience growing up as a Mexican American and identifying as a non-binary person in the art world. Maldonado also provided insight into how to emerge as a novice artist alongside personal struggles.
Apart from the keynote speech, there were masterclasses held by other professional artists living in the Portland Metro Area: Benjamin Medford taught soapstone carving, David Torres taught artistic world-building, Hannah Theiss taught two-color linocuts, and Charlie Hyman taught metal photo transfers.
Mrs. Escobar, the lead art teacher, alongside Mrs. Factor, Mr. Lunden, Mrs. Lords, and Mr. Davis, did a great job organizing this event. Mrs. Escobar was ecstatic to have a sculptor, photographer, and other mixed artists for the masterclasses.
Escobar states, “I am grateful to be able to give high school students a chance to meet like-minded artists their age, be together for the day, and learn from other artists rather than their teachers.”
Mia Garcia won first place in digital arts and second place in mixed media. The art piece highlighted above represents her identity as a Mexican American and the struggle to balance those two identities. She explained that making the piece took around 10 hours, with much trial and error in sketching and taking reference photos: “The meaning with the hair is that no matter whether I try to reject my identity or not, they’re always going to find a way to be connected no matter what. There is no way for them to be separated, hence the representation of the bow.”
The success of the NWOC Art Show shows the dedication and collective effort of WVHS staff and students. This show served as a platform for students to express themselves artistically and played a great role in bridging connections between schools.