CJ Students Showcase Artistic Abilities in 2021

Themes of the year 2020 captured the minds and works of artists for this year’s Miami Valley Regional Affiliate of the Scholastic Art Awards, hosted by K12 Gallery and TEJAS. Seven CJ students stood out, earning distinctive recognition for their efforts.

“This group of students did such an amazing job of representing what it means to go beyond thinking creatively and individually,” said Eric Hall, fine arts teacher at CJ.

The Scholastic Art Awards, a nearly century old competition, has allowed students in grades 7-12 to compete on regional and national levels for scholarship funds. The program seeks to foster creativity and establish a platform for recognition.

A multi-award winner in the 2020 competition, Chloe Proffitt ‘21 received three recognitions for her entries this year, including a Gold Key for her fashion design of “Sun Set.” Her experience as a distance learner, and the additional challenge of a semester art class taught over the span of a quarter, inspired her to think and create in new ways.

“The new found freedom of time and working from home were difficult at first, but it also opened me up to new mediums that would've been harder to execute at school like sewing and cardboard construction work in these times of distancing,” said Proffitt. “Exploring these categories led me to realize my love for fashion design, which I will now be majoring in at Kent State in the fall.”

“This past year of isolation proved to be a fruitful tree of endless artistic apples. I worked with the theme of ‘escapism’ a lot this year,” continued Proffitt. “My eyes were growing tired of seeing the same environment everyday so I thought, ‘why not build myself a new house?’ I built a three foot tall, three story townhouse and a smaller accompanying bedroom out of recycled materials and used the process to give my mind the escape it so desperately needed.”

K12 Gallery and TEJAS, the regional affiliate of the Scholastic Art Awards for the Greater Miami Valley Area, hosts the judging and is responsible for facilitating local entries and displaying the winners. Winning submissions are given a gold key, granted to about five to seven percent of all submissions; a silver key, about seven to ten percent of submissions; or an honorable mention, given to about 10 percent of submissions. Submissions awarded a gold key advance to be judged nationally with a chance to place as top in the country.

CJ submitted over 100 pieces for consideration out of a total of 500 contributed this year. After rounds of rigorous judging and selection processes, CJ students received three gold keys, four silver keys, and five honorable mentions. CJ has proudly received multiple awards in the last four years including multiple gold keys, silvers, and honorable mentions.

“Allowing these students to have an artistic outlet is one of the greatest things for their development and their growth as young creative leaders,” said Hall. “I am constantly encouraged by how much our students embrace the art community we have here at CJ.”

Chaminade Julienne enjoys a partnership with K12 Gallery and TEJAS, where art students are instructed by the organization’s professional artists and have access to the gallery’s spaces and amenities to expand their artistic experience.

Congratulations to our 2021 student award winners:
Gold Key Award: Allie Bertke ‘21, Chloe Proffitt ‘21
Silver Key Awards: Josh Cross ‘23, Lily Davis ‘21, Kate Machuca ‘22, Chloe Proffitt ‘21
Honorable Mention: Javian Caldwell ‘22, Josh Cross ‘23, Morgan Dean ‘22, Chloe Proffitt ‘21

See CJ’s winning submissions below.

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--This story was published on February 26, 2021.