The Mississippi School of the Arts (MSA) Visual Arts students recently received awards in the prestigious Regional Scholastic Art Competition hosted by The Mississippi Museum of Art, including an American Visions Award (for best in show), 24 Gold Keys, 14 Silver Keys and 38 Honorable Mentions.
The work of the talented young artists receiving Gold and Silver Keys will be on display at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson February 6th-March 6th as part of the exhibition for the Scholastic Art Awards Competition.
Mecca Givens of Richland, received one of only five American Visions Awards, for Best In Show, 2 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions; Aiyana Kline of Gautier received 6 Gold Keys and 5 Honorable Mentions; Naylon Harvey of Ocean Springs received 2 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key and 1 Honorable Mention; Cyrus Neese of Ocean Springs received 1 Silver Key and 3 Honorable Mentions; Morgan Windham of Diamond Head received 1 Silver Key and 1 Honorable Mention; Kiya Alvarado of Winona received 3 Silver Keys; Ali Arnold of Natchez, received 1 Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions; Dani Burlile of Tylertown, received 3 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions; Constance Gapp of Pontotoc received 1 Gold Key and 1 Silver Key; Abigail Baker of Bolton received 1 Gold Key and 6 Honorable Mentions; Jacareius Peterson of Jackson received 1 Gold Key and 1 Honorable Mention and William Culbreath of Jackson received 1 Gold Key and 1 Honorable Mention; Claire Kinnell of Hattiesburg, received 3 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions; Darian McGehee of Courtland received 1 Silver Key and 2 Honorable Mentions; Kelvin Patrick of Forest received 1 Silver Key and 1 Honorable Mention; Emily Schobey of Summit received 3 Gold Keys, 1 Silver Key and 3 Honorable Mentions; Abigail Holmes of Jayess received 2 Honorable Mentions; Aerimiss Mays of Greenwood received 1 Honorable Mention; Jessica Guntharp of Mantachie received 1 Honorable Mention and Michelle Sanchez of Meridian received 1 Honorable Mention.
The Mississippi Museum of Art hosts the Mississippi Regional Competition each year. Students from middle, junior high, and senior high schools from across the state participate in the competition. More than 2,000 entries in a wide variety of categories are judged by a panel of judges over a course of several days. Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards’ core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of personal voice or vision. Those works awarded American Visions and Gold Keys advance to the national competition.