Following months of portfolio development and several contest submissions, AP Studio Art students Jonathan Bartley and Elena Sakosky were both recently honored with Scholastic Art Awards for pieces completed during their course of study.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Through the awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships.

“Thousands of schools apply,” said AP Studio Art teacher Kimberly Miller. “Every year, we’ve had students who have at least gotten some kind of honorable mention.”

This year, Sakosky and Bartley made the trip to the University of Hartford to be publicly recognized and praised for their work, and see it displayed in a gallery on campus that would remain for several weeks.

Sakosky received an Honorable Mention for her submission, and Bartley was awarded with a Silver Key. The top award, a Gold Key, opens the opportunity for students to compete at  national level.

Miller said that there has only been one student to make it to the national level in Danbury High School history, heightening both Sakosky’s and Bartley’s accomplishments.

Bartley’s Silver Key-awarded submission is a drawing entitled “Medusa to Stone.”

“It was a part of my AP concentration about revealing human emotions through Greek mythology,” Bartley said.

This piece was completed alongside “Midas Greed,” another one of Bartley’s works recently entered in the Brookfield Art Show, at which it was awarded Best Drawing/Painting as well as Best in Show.

“It was a project we had in class,” said Sakosky of her submission. Her self-portrait piece features a mixture of mediums, or materials used such as oil paint or colored pencil, to bring out the purple that was highlighted in Sakosky’s hair in the image.

When asked if she was considering exploring art in college, Sakosky said, “I’m definitely going to keep up with it as a hobby, but I don’t know if I’m going to be taking classes. One of the hardest things as an artist is having people tell you to do things and having deadlines.”

Sakosky likened the creation of art to writer’s block for many people. “It’s not something that you can come up with” on demand.

Instead of pursuing art, Sakosky plans to study psychology and anatomy, relaying that “it’s been proven that having artistic ability is a part of the innovation and insight that medical professionals need to solve problems.”

Sakosky is no stranger, however, to art classes at DHS.

She said  that having different teachers throughout her high school art career has opened her up to unlimited opportunities and experiences.

“I’ve had Ms. Miller for three years, and I had [Lynne] Hawley the first year. Ms. Hawley helped me understand the principles of art, and Ms. Miller kind of helped me understand myself as an artist,” Sakosky said.  “Everything I’ve learned as an artist is from the teachers here.”

Miller says that, “All of my classes give kids new opportunities.”

She also mentioned her push for AP students to complete portfolios and delve into the area of art they are most invested in.

“I like my seniors to have a last chance before they’re out the door,” Miller continued, “to win awards, and for college, it’s great to put on their resumes.”

Bartley additionally thanks DHS classes for his artistic drive.

“I believe that Studio Art II gave me the motivation to continue in art,” said Bartley, adding that AP Studio Art “taught me about composition and technique.”

Where can we next look for the Silver Key winner’s work?

Bartley admitted his interest to study either graphic design, illustration or architecture in college, though no specific school has been decided yet.

As far as future art students are concerned, Sakosky concluded, “I think it’s kind of scary that not many people take [art classes], or they only take them because they have to. It kind of changes your life because you really understand who you are as a person when you get into art.”