(Casper, WY) – Jason Dayton, Lander Valley High School (LVHS) art teacher, recently shared that students had a stellar showing at the Wyoming Secondary Art Educators Association (WSAEA) State Art Symposium, including a Congressional Art Award winner, a piece chosen to be on display by First Lady of Wyoming Jennie Gordon, and multiple blue ribbon award winners.
“Art students from a variety of electives courses at LVHS had their art work at the Symposium recently in Casper at the Ford Center.
“Jordan Armajo received the highest honor with her painting entitled “Sisters” by being selected for the Congressional Art Award and it will be hanging in the Halls of Congress in Washington D.C. for the next year.
“This Honor occurred one other time about 10 years ago with Joe McGowan during Bill Yankee’s and Shawna Pickinpaugh’s tenure. His pencil drawing of a crumpled up piece of lined notebook paper was selected for the distinguished merit.
“Over the years, LVHS has consistently had many other amazing pieces be in the running for the possibility of hanging in D.C. Twenty-five are selected from nearly 4000 entries on the floor, and then one of them is chosen to represent Wyoming.
“Additionally, Magdalene Escudero-Kane had her crystalline glazed ceramic vase chosen by the First Lady of Wyoming and it will be on display at the Governor’s Mansion in Cheyenne for the coming year.Magda won 4 blue ribbons this year all of which were awarded to her crystalline vases.
“Connor Higginbotham captured the judges eye with his raku piece and won a blue ribbon. Anna Neilsen won a pair of ribbons with her crystalline mugs and a tall vase decorated with a technique called slip trailing.
“Freshman Audreyana Brave-Heart’s pit fired “Southwest”, blackware vase cinched a blue ribbon for her efforts. Mia Copeland won a blue ribbon for her work on a pair of blue crystalline mugs.
“The ring vase created by Lilly Swanson was selected as well. Jenna Hines had her Flamingo Feather Raku Bowls win at the state symposium.
“Savannah Newman’s teapot with a bamboo handle was adorned with a blue ribbon, and Reed McFadden’s horse hair raku vase set ribboned.
“Other ribbon winners include-Bo Mitchell for her acrylic painting, “Bison”, Elayna Hedges for her watercolor, “Sour”, two more for Jordan Armaho, “The Peak” and “Catching Prey”, Ansley Else’s watercolor, “Lavender Morning”, Jessica Baron’s print of “City in the Clouds”, Quinn Thomas’s gouache titled “Friends”, Bianca Nunez’s repousse on copper titled ”Mycostate II”, and Untitled block print of Claire LeBeau.
“You are invited to see all these amazingly creative students work on display for a limited time in the LVHS library. Pictures just don’t do the artwork justice, come and see the real deal!”
Well done Tigers!
