By Lisa Carolin
Three Chelsea High School students placed at the Scholastic Art Awards held in February, and they were among more than 6,000 applicants in Southeast Michigan.
Seniors Sam Olson and Tom Vincent, and junior Abraham Cone were all recognized for their artwork.
“Olson submitted a watercolor and salt background and inked characters free-hand drawn to emulate different ‘encounters’ with dark creatures,” explained Geo Rutherford, who teaches Studio Art, Ceramics, Drawing and Painting and Jewelry at the high school. “His work is triptych with three separate drawings telling a continual story.”
Olson received an honorable mention award, and he plans to go into game design and computer graphics.
Vincent is interested in photography and won a gold key (the highest award) for his photograph comprised of multiple photographs that he shot and put together.
Cone got two works into the Scholastic Awards, both block prints carved from linoleum.
“His silver key print was a starling sitting on a branch with mushrooms, and his gold key work was an octopus trapped in an invisible box,” said Rutherford, who said that Cone won best in category for his octopus print, meaning he had the best printmaking piece in the competition. “His work is usually dealing with animals, the environment and human impact on natural life.”
Laura Naar, who teaches Art and Design, Drawing, Graphic Design and Photography, worked with Rutherford to encourage students to apply for the Scholastic Awards.
This was the first time Chelsea High School participated, and six students from the school had their works submitted into the competition.
