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Student exhibit showcases ‘the best of the best’ of the Antelope Valley

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"Best in Show" winner Briana Maclas of Palmdale High School stands next to her winning entry, a self portrait titled "Deconstructed."

LANCASTER – Students, parents, teachers, and art enthusiasts gathered at Lancaster City Hall Thursday evening for an artist reception to kick off the 27th Annual Antelope Valley Unified High School District Art Show.

Now in its 27th year, the art show encourages and supports the artistic experimentation and expression of student artists from schools around the Antelope Valley.

This year's exhibition features more than 120 pieces of artwork from over 100 students within the school district.

This year’s exhibition featured more than 120 pieces of artwork from over 100 student artists within the school district. Participating students were selected by art instructors from Antelope Valley, Desert Winds, Eastside, Highland, Lancaster, Littlerock, Palmdale, Pete Knight, Quartz Hill and R. Rex Parris High Schools.

“The spots are limited, and each teacher only gets four spots, so these are the top students in all the high schools,” said faculty liaison Kris Holladay. “They’re the best of the best of the Antelope Valley.”

The student exhibit will be on display through May 5, lining the walls of the first floor in City Hall. The exhibit includes a wide variety of media, such as oil, ceramic, watercolor, photography, acrylic, plaster, charcoal, pencil, scratchboard, color pencil, computer art, pastel and mixed media.

At the opening reception, more than $1,000 in cash awards were presented to talented student artists in the different media categories.

Daniela Garcia took 3rd Place for the Best in Show Award, while Jose Galvan won 2nd Place for Best in Show, and Briana Maclas took home the Best in Show grand prize.

Jose Galvan was awarded 2nd Place for Best in Show. He said his entry was inspired by street art.

To capture the top spot, Maclas said she worked on her exhibit, titled “Deconstructed,” for more than a month.

“It took so much time and so many hours, I worked really really hard on it,” said the Palmdale High School Senior. “I’m very lucky that people recognized it.”

Second Place Best in Show winner, Jose Galvan, said his exhibit, titled “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” was inspired by street art.

“It’s me against a wall, it could be any wall in Los Angeles,” he said. “This is something that I would like to see on the street, something colorful, something that would bring a smile to someone, and it obviously did.”

The opening reception brought out students and parents from around the Valley.

The opening reception brought out parents from all around the Valley, even those whose students were not in the art show.

“My son’s teacher invited the entire class out to the exhibit, and I am so happy that I came,” said Danette Varner of Littlerock. “It’s beautiful and the students are so talented; it’s just so amazing the talent we have in the Antelope Valley.”

The 27th Annual Antelope Valley Union High School District Art Exhibition was presented in part by the Lancaster Museum of Art & History.

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The following is a rundown of the winners in all categories:

* BEST IN SHOW *

Winner – Briana Maclas – Deconstructed
2nd Place – Jose Galvan – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
3rd Place – Daniela Garcia – Leo

* SPECIAL AWARDS *

LANCASTER PHOTOGRAPHY ASSOCIATION AWARDS

  • Cole VonderRieth – In His Hands

LAKES AND VALLEYS ART GUILD AWARD

  • Briana Maclas – Deconstructed

* MEDIA CATEGORY AWARDS *

Jesse Vargas took 3rd Place in the Acrylic category.

ACRYLIC

  • 1st Place – Ainsley Barr – Mirror Lake
  • 2nd Place – Anahi Escobedo – Humanity’s Reflexive Creations
  • 3rd Place – Jesse Vargas – The Kraken Strikes

CERAMIC

  • 1st Place – Claudia Mendoza – Skulltopus
  • 2nd Place – Katelyn Fiorelli – Pepping into Pinehouse
  • 3rd Place – Vidal Soto – The Best of the Sea (aka Turtle)
  • Honorable Mention – Leslie Losada – Mother Nature

MIXED MEDIA

  • 1st Place – Alexx Jackson – Geisha
  • 2nd Place – Ellena Guillen – The Power of Imagination
  • 3rd Place – James Velasco – Untitled

COLORED PENCIL

  • Honorable Mention – Jose Galvan – Day One

COMPUTER ART

  • 1st Place – Cole VonderReith – In His Hands
  • 2nd Place – Ashley Dizon – Self Portrait

PHOTOGRAPHY

  • 1st Place – Sharen Sagadraca – Untitled
  • 2nd Place – Mikaeh Trahan – Untitled
  • 3rd Place – Angel Figueroa – Action
  • Honorable Mention – Shannon Ho – Untitled

GRAPHITE/PENCIL

  • 1st Place – Manuel Juarez – A Flower

SCRATCHBOARD

  • 1st Place – Jazmin Barajas – Silent Tree
  • 2nd Place – Nathan Factuar – Untitled

OIL

  • 1st Place – Marcel Wolfe – Serenity
  • 2nd Place – Joselyn Briaso – Trapped
  • 3rd Place – Lucero Duran – My Happy Accident
  • Honorable Mention – Michaela McPolin – Untitled

CHARCOAL

  • 1st Place – Lisa Garcia – Unforgotten
  • Honorable Mention – Robert Sowinski – Malcolm X

OTHER MEDIA

  • 1st Place – Vanessa Fernandez – Hummingbird
  • Honorable Mention – Grace Kedrowski – Love Birds

TEACHERS CHOICE AWARDS

  • 1st Place – Daniela Garcia – Leo
  • 2nd Place – Jose Galvan – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
  • 3rd Place – Cole VonderReith – In His Hands
  • 4th Place – Anahi Escobedo -Humanity’s Reflexive Creations & Mikaeh Trahan – Concrete Blues
  • 5th Place – Marcel Wolfe – Serenity & Jazmin Barajas – Silent Tree
  • 6th Place – Sarah Sanchez – Liquid Paint & Devin Munoz – The Weeper

CURATOR’S AWARD

  • Elizabeth Monje – Untitled (Photography)

BERYL AMSPOKER AWARD

  • Grace Kedrowski – Love Birds? (Stained)

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