Six St. Michael-Albertville High School students received a National Scholastic Art Award for 2018, winning the most overall national awards of any school in Minnesota. These six students have been identified as among the most talented young artists and writers in the nation, with fewer than one percent of the 350,000-plus submissions receiving a national award.
The local winners are:
Junior Claire Frederickson won a gold medal for her drawing “I Matter.”
Senior Sydney Gifford won a gold medal for her drawing “History Left on the Walls.”
Senior Lucas Greenwaldt won a silver medal for his photography “Back in Time.”
Junior Gianna Haseman won a silver medal for her photograph “Mother May I.”
Senior Madison Jurkovski won a silver medal for her ceramics work “Hexed Place Setting.”
Senior Caden Sigerud won a silver medal for his ceramic work “Puncture.”
The six students have been invited to attend the awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City this June.
“These six students embody STMA’s tradition of excellence and I couldn’t be prouder of them for achieving these accolades,” said Superintendent Ann-Marie Foucault. “STMA fully embraces the arts and recognizes that a vibrant and robust arts education program is critical to a complete and balanced education for all students.
An education in the arts is essential to the district achieving its mission of developing effective communicators, self-directed learners, purposeful thinkers, and responsible citizens,” she continued. “I am grateful for our hard working and dedicated art teachers for inspiring students and creating a high-quality E-12 art program.”
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards has been in existence since 1923, and it has a noteworthy roster of past winners including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote and many others. The Awards are open to all students in grades 7-12 from public, private and homeschools in the United States.