Bonney Lake High School’s annual arts program fundraiser saw one senior receive double honors for a painting and sculpture.
This year’s Night of the Arts—a Mexican themed “Noches de los Artes”—recognized producers of all forms of the arts. About 80 drawings, paintings, sculptures and photos were on display and judged in competition; Bonney Lake’s ProStart culinary artists put together meals for attendees and demonstrated how to make hard candy; and young musicians and actors performed for the packed house over dinner.
Arts contest categories were two-dimensional art, three-dimensional art and photography. It was the first year for the photography category, which was organized by Photography Club President Tyler Rogers (See Senior Showcase story, page XX).
Senior Emily Peiss won first place in both the two-dimensional and three-dimensional categories for an acrylic painting and a sculpture.
“I’ve never won an award in anything, so I feel great,” Peiss said. She has taken art classes with teacher Melissa Deckman since last year, and her mother owns a craft supply.
Her sculpture was a set of flowers in vases, repurposed from a class assignment.
“It was definitely different,” said Peiss, who had not done much sculpture prior to the class in which she made her award-winning piece. “It was hard to put things together the first time. I had to figure out how I wanted to construct it.”
But her painting, an acrylic on board piece titled “Life,” was painted expressly for the contest. It is a political painting depicting a newborn with a red rubber wristband and the word “life” around its waist, signifying the right to life and an anti-abortion stance.
“Not many of the entries to these contests are political,” Deckman said. She added that she likes politically themed installations because they show her students are comfortable enough with their work to tackle a complex theme.
“It’s just that’s a really strong belief I have,” Peiss said. “That babies have the right to live. It’s a very strong belief.”
Another senior, Christine Foster, was visibly embarrassed when her parents talked up her honorable mention entry, “Grampa’s Pride and Joy.”
“It’s a great accomplishment,” her father said of the award given to the watercolor entry.
“Last year she got best in show at the Puyallup Fair,” her mother began to say.
“Stop it!” Foster said, interjecting.
Whitney Osbourne and Kelsey Giosso took third and second place, respectively, in the three-dimensional art contest.
Kaelyn Bassett, Allison Weaver, and Cass Newman won third, second and first, respectively, in the photography contest.
The People’s Choice Award, determined by ballot in the hours before the awards presentation, went to Caitlin McGraw.
The Superintendent’s Award went to Garrett Post for his painting. It will be added to the wall in the Sumner School District office.
“Part of the reason it was chosen was that it depicted a part of the district,” district spokesperson Ann Cook said. “It was done over a series of days looking out the window of the art room and recreating what he saw.”
