2022 Visual Art Festival “Best of Medina County” High School Show Award Recipients

The Educational Service Center (ESC) of Medina County is pleased to announce the award winners of this year’s Visual Art Festival “Best of Medina County” High School Show.

Izzy Castillo, a sophomore at Medina High School, has been awarded Best of Show for her “Tropical Fish” watercolor. As such, she will receive a $300 award from the ESC, sponsored by George and Mary Marg Marquis. Her art teacher is Lauren Smith. Next year Izzy will be in the Digital Design program at the Medina County Career Center.

Her exceptional skill has developed from her passion for drawing since she was only four years old. Izzy carries a sketchbook daily, capturing realistic yet playful illustrations of her surroundings, and spends time creating artwork both in and out of her scheduled art classes. Currently, her mixed media drawings focus on endangered animals. Izzy Castillo's Best of Show watercolor painting of fish was created by researching both freshwater and saltwater fish and painting them from observation through layered washes of watercolor. Izzy hopes to work at Pixar in the future.

Each of the following award winners will receive a gift card from the ESC to a local art supply store.

• 3-D Sculpture/Ceramics Cora Neville First Place
•  Cloverleaf High School - 11th Grade
• Julie Krueger, teacher
   
• 3-D Sculpture/Ceramics Abby Pappas First Place
• Highland High School - 12th Grade
• Pat Wise, teacher
   
• 3-D Sculpture/Ceramics Maya Carter
• Honorable Mention Highland High School - 10th Grade
• Pat Wise, teacher
   
• 3-D Sculpture/Ceramics Ava Rich
• Honorable Mention Cloverleaf High School - 9th Grade
• Julie Krueger, teacher
   
• Digital Ashley Powell
• First Place Buckeye High School - 12th Grade
• Adam Zbydnowski, teacher
   
• Digital Aidan Simpson
• Honorable Mention Medina High School - 11th Grade
• Lauren Smith, teacher
   
• Digital Illustration Alice Genkin
• First Place Cloverleaf High School - 11th Grade
• Julie Krueger, teacher
   
• Drawing Kaliana Beranek
• First Place Highland High School - 11th Grade
• Pat Wise, teacher
   
• Drawing Brooke Boge
• Honorable Mention Highland High School - 11th Grade
• Pat Wise, teacher
   
• Painting Laila Odeh
• First Place Medina High School - 12th Grade
• Lauren Smith, teacher
   
• Painting Nicholas Monastra
• Honorable Mention Buckeye High School - 12th Grade
• Adam Zbydnowski, teacher
   
• Photography Victoria Farrell
• First Place Highland High School - 12th Grade
• Bonnie Kubilus, teacher
   
• Photography Fay Conrad
• Honorable Mention Buckeye High School - 11th Grade
• Adam Zbydnowski, teacher
   
• Printmaking Grace Karas
• First Place Medina High School - 10th Grade
• Lauren Smith, teacher
   
• Scratchboard Drawing Missy Marasco
• First Place Highland High School - 10th Grade
• Pat Wise, teacher
   
• Scratchboard Drawing Nicole Iwasieczko
• Honorable Mention Highland High School - 10th Grade
• Pat Wise, teacher

Pat Wise, coordinator of the Medina County Visual Art Festival, observed, “I enjoyed being a part of this artistic tradition again. It is always a pleasure seeing the efforts of our county’s high school students. Although we couldn't celebrate together in person, I hope that all the students celebrate their accomplishments and continue in their creative pursuits.”

We thank the following sponsors for their generous support, which made possible many of the student awards: Mayor Dennis and Christine Hanwell, Auditor Michael Kovack, George and Mary Marg Marquis, Dr. Dennis Schirripa, and Brenda Zacharias.

The goal of this year’s juried art show was to be more inclusive and provide opportunities for recognition to as many students as possible. Students in Grades 9-12 were eligible to participate, and artwork submitted was to be each student’s very best. Artwork was also to be original, school appropriate, and created in conjunction with school assignments. This year 98 students from four Medina County school districts entered 119 pieces of artwork.

The Visual Art Festival “Best of Medina County” High School Show is on display now through May 20 at the Cleveland Clinic Medina Medical Office Building, South (Entrance D). The event is presented by the Educational Service Center of Medina County in partnership with Cleveland Clinic Medina Hospital.