The Visual Arts Department hosted a Mini-Art Competition to kick off the new school year. Freshman Julia Kay took home the top prize, impressing judges with her painting on wood. 

“As a freshman, I thought I had the lowest chance of winning. I got the hang of it as I started working — the outcome was exactly what I wanted,” Kay said.

The Visual Arts Department invited both students and faculty to submit artwork in any medium for the competition — as long as it fit within the 5×7 inch requirement. 

“Participants got to decide everything — what medium, what subject, and how they approached the piece,” Visual Arts Chair and event organizer Stacy Goldman said. 

These minimal requirements allowed for diverse submissions, from cardboard sculptures and live plants to acrylic paintings and intricate pen work.

Kay chose paint as her medium, feeling it was the perfect material for the would piece she wanted to use.

“I thought wood was the perfect size, you could go bigger but it just left a nice pattern for the space and it’s not empty space, it’s the wood,” Kay said.

Student Activities Assistant Lorna Fernandez also submitted a piece that involved a series of cup holders. 

“It’s something that fulfills me, and I tested and damaged about twenty before perfecting it,” Fernandez said of her creative process.

The contest ran for three weeks, with the Visual Arts Dept. choosing the finalists which were displayed in the art Gallery Case. Students and faculty had the opportunity to vote and select the winners in four different categories:  

• Most Creative: Maya Welle, ’28(Pac-Spray)
• Most Skillful: Katarina Mladenovic, ’26 (Ice Cream Sundae)
• Best Use of Detail: Chiara Wagner Ingletto, ’27 (Lighthouse)
• Best Overall: Julia Kay, ’28 (Dalmatian Puppy on Wood)

Overall, Goldman feels that the competition was a success.

“A competition like this is a great way to bring creative people within our community together and inspire excitement for what is to come throughout the  school year,” Goldman said.

The pieces will be on display in the Gallery Case outside of the Room 215 until the end of September.