Students in the Pasadena Independent School District’s art programs have recently received national, state and regional awards .

In the National Rifle Association art contest, two Pasadena Memorial students works were chosen. Candelo Botello earned an Honorable Mention award, while Alex Clark, was chosen as the First Place winner in the High School Division, earning $300 cash award and a showing in an exhibit at the National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va.

Culture Shapers is a group of Houston-area businessmen and women who are dedicated to serving student artists in many ways, including unique visual and performing arts contests. In addition to the cash prizes in each category, one student each year is recognized with the commemorative Danny Wood “Heart in Art” Award. Pasadena Memorial senior, Sergio Rangel was the recipient of this year’s “Heart in Art” award and $1, 000. Additionally, Lexi Ahumada, David Trejo and Sergio Rangel placed as finalists and walked away with $250 cash each.

Harris County Department of Education, as regional sponsor for Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, recognizes and celebrates the outstanding talent of young artists throughout Harris County. Each fall, schools and districts submit students’ best artwork HCDE to compete at the regional level. After these entries are judged by panels of highly qualified judges, selected pieces are recognized locally, and prizes are awarded to acknowledge exemplary work. Gold Key winners then go on to competition at the national level for documentation and possible national exhibition opportunities. Gold Key Awards winners are: Helen Schorsch – 11th grade, Drawing, Pasadena Memorial; Sergio Rangel – 12th grade, Drawing, Pasadena Memorial Sergio Rangel – 12th grade, Painting, Pasadena; Memorial Silver Key Award winners are: Jamie Lira – 12th grade, Painting, Pasadena High; Alex Clark – 10th grade, Mixed Media, Pasadena Memorial; Alex Clark – 10th grade, Drawing, Pasadena Memorial Claudia Murphy – 12th grade, Drawing, Pasadena Memorial.

Youth Art Month Show/Contest

The Youth Art Month theme is "Start With Art, Learn for Life". March is National Youth Art Month and the State of Texas has been a leader in Youth Art Month since 1961. To celebrate this special month, TAEA Area 6 Representatives sponsor a show/contest for students K-12th grades in the districts of the greater-Houston area. There were 500+ entries from 14 districts competing for the opportunity to be chosen for the Traveling Show or to be exhibited at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. The Traveling Show consists of 50 pieces which will travel to 12 venues in Area 6 over the course of the next year. The MFAH Exhibit entitled, “Start with Art, Learn for Life” will be on display from March 14 through June 28. PISD proudly has students exhibiting in both shows.

YAM Traveling Show winners were:

Nick Hargrave – 10th grade, Memorial HS, photograph

Nick Hargrave – 10th grade, Memorial HS, photograph

YAM Museum of Fine Arts Exhibitor award:

Jose Talamantes – 12th grade, Pasadena HS, drawing

Contemporary Art Museum Exhibits

The Contemporary Art Museum’s Teen Council presents their exhibition of work by Houston-area teens titled Perspective 165: Contents Under Pressure. Tasked with openly interpreting the exhibition theme of containers and containment, more than forty student

artists will be represented with works ranging from photography and painting to sculpture and video. PISD Art Department is proud to announce that students from three campuses were chosen from more than 300 entries.

Pasadena High students Julie Martinez and Steve Gonzalez collaborated on a mixed media sculpture, Lost, Not Found. In addition, Erika Hernandez, Masiel Cruz, Gabriela Rodriguez and Ashley Gonzalez constructed a mixed media sculpture, Ike’s Leftovers.

Pasadena Memorial High School students exhibiting are:

Ashley Aleman - Mixed Media, Alternate Family

Candelo Botello – Drawing, Cultural Pressure

Nick Hargrave – Photograph, Mental Fracture

Kennon Haley – Installation, Box Boy

Sam Rayburn HS students created a large-scale installation piece commemorating Hurricane Ike. Approximately 200 students added their individually ornamented fence pickets gathered in the aftermath of Ike. The Rayburn Art Department re-constructed a house and fence from those pickets. The piece is titled, The Picket Project.

All of these students works will be shown in the exhibit at the Contemporary Art Museum through May 10.