The Lovejoy High School Art Department had tremendous success on their second consecutive trip to the State Visual Arts Scholastic Event.

Four students from Lovejoy High School were in the top 8% of high school art students in Texas.  They were 4 of only 1,783 to earn this honor.  They all braved torrential rains to travel down to the University of Houston in Clear Lake, Texas on April 17, 2009, to attend the State Visual Arts Scholastic Event.

While attending the event, students participated in workshops and viewed the amazing art work from around the state.  They had a fantastic time and are already excited about the possiblity of returning for a third year in a row in 2010. Taylor Smith, an Art I student, competed against approximately 125 students from every level of experience, in a one and a half hour drawing scholarship workshop.  She was one of only two Art I students to recieve a scholarship.  The rest of the scholarships went to Art III and IV students.

Jordan Clough earned an 'Excellent' rating on her Prismacolor drawing entitled "Meat Stall."  It is a quirky, gorgeous composition featuring a man in a red robe holding meat, as a ptarmigan flies overhead.  This was Jordan's second straight year to represent LHS at the state level.

Trenton Easley earned an "Excellent" rating with his digital photograph of a beautiful orange butterfly resting on a leaf.

Melissa Hildenbrand earned a rating of "Superior" with a big and bold acrylic painting of a variety of candy, that put Andy Warhol to shame.

Taylor Smith also earned a "Superior" rating on her entry, a professional quality digital artwork entitled "Marcelline."  It depicts a young French orphan girl and her friend, a large snail, flying through the air over Paris on a washing machine. A chef is in close pursuit, flying an antique airplane, hoping to make escargot out of Marcelline's companion.  Taylor was also awarded the highest honor, a "Gold Seal Award."  Only 127 "Gold Seals" were awarded out of the 20,433 entries this year. Taylor is Lovejoy's first "Gold Seal" recipient.

Mr. McCasland and Mr. Seidel are extremely proud of these students and they hope you will congratulate them when you have the opportunity.