Five students submitted their artwork into the Eastern Kansas Scholastic Art Award on Dec. 18. Mark Arts received more than 2,450 entries for the Art Award. Out of those entries, judges selected 152 pieces of artwork as gold key, 166 pieces as silver key and 309 were honorable mention.

On Jan. 15 students received the results from Mark Arts. Senior Alexandria Hagerman and senior Isabelle Pfeifer both recieved gold keys and silver keys. Junior Kallynn Petz and senior Brittani Park recieved honorable mentions.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is one of the longest-running, largest, and most prestigious recognition program for young artist grades 7-12 in the nation.

“I am super happy that my artwork got gold and silver keys,” Pfeifer said. “It means a lot to me to get acknowledged for my art because I love doing it and I love when other people like my art as well.”

The Eastern Kansas Scholastic Art Exhibition will be showcasing gold key and silver key artwork from middle schoolers and high schoolers from 70 different counties in Kansas, at Mark Arts on Feb. 1 – March 23.

The gold key artwork accepted will be submitted for national judging and honorable mentions will receive certificates at the exhibition.

Art teacher Jennifer Younger said Hagerman and Pfeifer also submitted their artwork into the Salina Biennial. Both have been notified, but do not know if they will get awarded and do not know what art piece or pieces got accepted yet.

“Getting any award at all is an exciting achievement for me,” Hagerman said. “For two pieces to be awarded this year is like a giant pat on the back showing me how my hard work and dedication has paid off.”

22nvuong@usd489.com