A stroke of genius: four artists awarded gold keys in Scholastic competition

Tucked away into area four, the art room is like a second home for many artists throughout the school. Out of the numerous artworks produced here, only a fraction are selected for competitions and actually receive awards. 

This year, four artists have been hard at work; drawing, painting, and sculpting artworks, all of which have received Gold Key Awards–the highest award applicable–within the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition of Nebraska. 

This year, 52 art pieces were submitted from Bellevue West with only 21 being accepted into the competition. Schools from across Nebraska submit artwork which is then judged in Omaha. The highest scoring pieces later compete against other states’ artworks at the national competition in New York City. 

According to art teacher Paula Yoachim, just being accepted into the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition is a feat.

“If you get into Scholastic, it’s a huge deal, because it’s hard to get in,” Yoachim said. “Especially our Gold Key winners, to have portfolios that get a Gold Key is really hard to do.”

Compared to last year’s virtual event, the competition was held in-person which allowed the artists to view their competitors’ work.

“Being able to go into this building and see the work from all these other students just in one place was really cool,” senior Sophia Goessling said. “To see your work versus everyone else’s it’s just really nice and refreshing.”