NHS Artists Earn Regional Scholastic Awards

Multiple Newtown High School students were recently cited as winners in the 23rd Annual Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards.

“This was probably the strongest collection of work that Newtown High School has ever had from all three teachers,” said NHS art teacher Carol Pelligra, about her own students and those in NHS art teachers Diane Dutchick and Carol Skolas’s classes.

NHS sophomore Brittany Boggs won one of the five highest awards in the Scholastic Arts Awards, the American Visions Award for her ceramics piece, titled “At the Barn.” Brittany also won a Best in Ceramics and a Gold Key Award for the piece.

NHS sophomore Hannah Godbout earned a Gold Key Award for her ceramics piece, “Hedgehog Tea Pot.”

Avery Black, a sophomore, earned a Silver Key Award for her ceramics piece, “The Gold Bracelet.”

Senior Deiter Gutbrod earned a Gold Key Award for his submitted portfolio of work.

NHS senior Emily Kopcik earned a Silver Key Award in the painting category.

Linda He, a senior at NHS, earned a Gold Key Award for one piece titled “Self-Portrait,” and she also earned Honorable Mention for a drawing titled “Still Life.”

Isabella Saraceni, a sophomore at the high school, also earned Honorable Mention for a painting she submitted to the Scholastic Art Awards.

According to the high school, the student work selected for awards and honors in the Scholastic Art Awards were selected from 1,500 art entries from around the state. Of the entrants, 655 student artists are having their work shown in an exhibit at the University of Hartford through February 3 at the Silpe Gallery, at Hartford Art School, 200 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford. Of the 655 student artists, 229 entries earned Gold Key Awards, 157 earned Silver Key Awards, and 267 earned Honorable Mentions, according to NHS.

“The students worked really, really hard,” said Ms Pelligra.

Ms Pelligra also said this is the first year an NHS student has earned the Gold Key Award for a submitted portfolio of work.

Deiter, who said as a senior he is still determining which school he would like to attend, plans to study fashion design in college.

“I think it is pretty exciting,” said Dieter. “This is the first time I have ever been in a show.”