Quad City Arts gives out prizes for high school art

In a packed Quad City Arts gallery Thursday night in downtown Rock Island, the nonprofit announced the winners of the 46th-annual High School Art Invitational and presented $7,500 in cash prizes to area high school students and teachers for excellence in fine art.

The exhibit contains artwork from 18 schools and two home schools from both sides of the river, 26 exhibiting teachers, and a total of 249 student entries. It features exemplary works of art selected by each high school art teacher in the region. On average, 16 schools, 28 teachers, and over 170 students are provided the opportunity to show their artwork in a commercial art gallery and compete for scholarships and prizes.

The young artists express themselves through paintings, drawings, sculpture, metals, ceramics, photography, digital media and film. To find out more about this program and sponsoring awards, visit the exhibit website HERE.

This year’s winners are:

• Senior Scholarship: Laurel Hynes and Carley Tomlinson, Davenport Central High School
• Best of Show: Jordyn Mitchell, Bettendorf High School
• Don Heggen Memorial Award for Outstanding Watercolor:
  Madeleine Carroll, Assumption High School
  Tarah Smith, Davenport Central High School
• Most Original Concept Award sponsored by Joel & Diane Franken:
  Ella Strader, Davenport Central High School
• Juror’s Choice Awards for artistic excellence:
  Destiny Dixon, Davenport Central High School/Creative Arts Academy
  Abbey Young, Davenport West High School
  Bella Davis, Davenport West High School
  Hattie Aanestad, Bettendorf High School
• Cutting-Edge Award sponsored by Cutting Edge Productions: Nya Tarpein, Pleasant Valley High School
• Helen Doehler Memorial Award: Thomas Johnson, Homeschooled
• Excellence in Photography Award sponsored by Jack Wilhoit: Jadyn Weiser, Davenport West High School

• Award for Creativity sponsored by Ralph Iaccarino:
  Alexsys Sheeper, Central DeWitt High School
  Gabriella Wade, Bettendorf High School
• Carlo Centore Awards for Mastery of Technique:
  Tessa Wilebski, Geneseo High School
  Mia Rocio Rosales, Moline High School
• Steven Pray Award for Creativity: Jacob Phan, Davenport Central High School/Creative Arts Academy
• Steven Pray Award for Mastery of Technique: Natasha Henning, Figge Art Academy
• Zimmerman Honda Award for Outstanding Painting: Hattie Aanestad, Bettendorf High School
• Zimmerman Honda Award for Creativity: Emma Stout, Rock Island High School
• Zimmerman Honda Award for Mastery of Technique: Kate Dougherty, Pleasant Valley High School
• Living Lands & Waters Award for best use of recycled materials: Alyssa Powell, Pleasant Valley High School
• Quad City Arts’ Staff Picks:
  Joe Beers, Davenport West High School
  Norah Wright, Rock Island High School

• Elaine & Larry Sneath Award for Thinking Outside the Box: Natalie Peppers, Davenport West High School
• Mark & David Burlington Memorial Award for Drawing: Jalin Sanders-Mosby, Rock Island High School
• Keith Bonnstetter Memorial Award for Best Use of Paper as medium:
  Amelia House, Central DeWitt High School
  Anabelle Petersen, Pleasant Valley High School
• W.C. Griffiths Award for Whimsical Art:
  Carley Tomlinson, Davenport Central High School (1^st Place)
  Janelle Corales, Geneseo High School (2nd Place)
  Alexis Moore, Geneseo High School (3^rd Place)

• Awards for excellence in film sponsored by dphilms/TAG:
  Kaylei Littig, Geneseo High School (1^st Place)
  Nina Rutinek, Davenport Central High School/Creative Arts Academy (2^nd Place)
  Rachel Spicer, Central DeWitt High School (3rd Place)
• The Mississippi Valley Woodcarvers Award: Henry Mihn, Alleman High School
• The Rock Island Art Guild Members’ Selections:
  Ceramics: Maribel Buxbaum Lara, Davenport Central High School
  Painting: Sherry Tang, Figge Art Academy
  Sculpture: Maisy Woods, Rock Island High School
  Drawing: Arata Ketner, Moline High School
• Teacher’s Awards:
  1st place — Lisa Stisser, Kewanee High School
  2nd place — Andrew Gray, Rock Island High School
  3rd place — Cassie Dunlavey, Central DeWitt High School
  

The exhibit is free and open to the public through April 27, 2023, at the Rock Island Gallery, 1715 2nd Ave. You can browse the gallery online HERE.