2020 Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards
January 30, 2020
Nine Kalani High School students were recognized at the 2020 Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art Awards in February: Karen Oh (10), Rina Robin (12), Colleen Kagawa (12), Clara Wu (12), Shaye Iwanuma (12), Kent Le (12), Natalie Ou (12), Viani Southichack (12), and Maria Tanaka (12). Additionally, Oh and Robin are American Vision Award nominees, and medals are given to only one artist from each region.
“My art piece is my mom,” Oh said. “I didn’t know what to draw so I just decided to take a pic of her and draw it.”
She did not expect a personal sketch of her mother to earn such a positive reaction.
“I was surprised and didn’t know I was gonna win,” she added.
The 2020 Hawaiʻi Regional Scholastic Art Awards is an event where students from grades 7-12 can show off their artwork and talents. The art submissions are judged based on originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision, which are the guidelines listed on the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers website.
There are four regional honor categories students can receive: American Visions Nominees, Gold Key Awards, Silver Key Awards, and Honorable Mentions.
“I made a portrait of my boyfriend and my friend standing next to each other posing for a picture for prom,” Tanaka said, who earned a Silver Key for her work. “What inspired me to create it was wanting to do a harder portrait to challenge my abilities to draw a bit more.”
The nominees’ work will be displayed at the Hawaii State Art Museum from Feb. 15 to March 14. An award ceremony will be held on February 15 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hawaii State Art Museum where they will honor all student nominees as well as their teachers.
“The preparation is in the years of taking drawing and painting,” James Mosher, one of the art teachers at Kalani High School said. “Most of the students that got awards are in level 3.”
