Dawn Rye | Writer
The visual arts industry allows creative individuals to express art forms in ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, video and filmmaking. And Parker’s Art Department works hard to take part in as many of these as they are able.
Recently, the Parker Art Department brought home their fourth visual art award in the last four years. Art teacher Dave Fuller said 10 students entered artwork for the 12 categories allowing only one artwork per category. The categories are drawing, painting, ceramics, colored drawing, digital art, printmaking, mixed media, watercolor, cultural art, three-dimensional, crafts and photography.
He explained in the 12 categories, Parker placed first in eight of them, second place in one and a couple of fourth-place awards. There were three judges for each category and the school’s name was hidden during the process. Parker had the highest score of any of the schools, including the AA schools.
“I feel satisfied that we have won the visual arts contest four years in a row. We have only entered four years and we have won it every year. I try to get the students to do difficult projects and put a lot of effort and time into their projects, and I think it shows,” noted Fuller
Parker received first place as a team in the Class A schools with all the points for each category added to get a team score.
Contest results:
Ashlynn Wildeboer – 1st place ceramics and also BEST OF SHOW award for Class A
Cierra Mohr – 1st place drawing
Carter Robertson – 1st place painting
Rachel Becker – 1st place colored drawing
Jack Even – 1st place printmaking
Hudson Eldeen -1st place – traditional cultural art
Damian Bacon – 1st place 3Dimensional art
Damian Bacon – 1st place – crafts
Stella Postma – 2nd mixed media
Fuller noted Parker has talented art students and hopes he brings out the best in them and if people do not see the artwork in person, it is hard to judge how the students did.
During COVID, he said it was challenging because students were to come up with new and creative ideas for each category. Fuller said the students try to plan for most of the categories and try to do complex projects no one else would do to display a higher degree of craftsmanship.
Now that Parker won four state titles, for the next two years, the contest is out in Rapid City, so Fuller does not know if they will enter the competition.
“I thought the number of schools that entered was low and even the quality of the artwork was down a little, so I am not sure if we will enter next year. We might try and find some new things to do,” commented Fuller.
The art students have received some great memories. They were Vans Shoe contest finals three out of four years and earned two trips to New York City plus a trip to Los Angeles where students placed third, second and then won.
“That was really cool for a small town of Parker beating everyone in the entire United States. But once we won it all, we couldn’t compete in the contest anymore. I think we have done well in the Vans and the State Visual Arts contests, but maybe we can find something else to do,” stated Fuller.
