Artwork Of Wawasee Student Wins National Award
SYRACUSE — There is a first time for many things and for Wawasee High School, this is the first time an art student has won a national award in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
Junior Wynter Rhoads won a national medal in the 2017 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her drawing “Untitled 13.” Students from Wawasee earned a total of eight gold keys during the regional Scholastic Awards in Fort Wayne. Their work was then judged nationally and Rhoads earned a national medal, given to less than 1 percent of the original submissions.
Rhoads will travel to New York City June 7-9 and receive her award June 8 at Carnegie Hall.
Her drawing was based on a photo taken of young African girl by a Wawasee student, a 2016 graduate, while on a missions trip to Africa. “She liked the context of the picture and liked the challenge of drawing the skin tone and color,” said Kelli Amsden, Wynter’s mother.
Amsden noted her daughter has always loved to draw and “has always liked being good at something, and art was easy and fun for her. People liked it, and that made her happy.”
She went on to say Wynter enjoys “the process” of art and the pleasure it brings to those who see her drawings.
Rhoads was notified of her award by a conference phone call with Brian Whirledge, art teacher at Wawasee, and a staff member from the Fort Wayne Museum of Art. There was a bit of confusion because Wynter had entered two drawings in Fort Wayne, but once it was determined which one was named the winner, the mood lightened considerably.
Wynter plans to pursue a career in art after high school, but has not finalized specific plans as of yet.