Several budding artists from Palm Springs Unified high schools are the recipients of awards and/or scholarships in the 2018 Fine Arts Creativity Competition through the Palm Springs Arts Museum.
Themed “Finding One’s Voice,” the 28th annual Fine Arts Creativity Awards and Scholarship Program exhibition opened April 8 and will run through May 15 featuring winning artwork by public and private high school students in the Coachella Valley and College of the Desert. Entries were judged by museum professionals, local artists and gallery officials, who considered creative interpretation of the theme, technical ability and an imaginative communication of ideas and emotions in choosing the winners.
Blaze Bautista’s award-winning piece.
Cash award winners from Palm Springs Unified included Palm Springs High’s Blaze Bautista, who won $100 the Castrodale Prize for Excellence awarded to a female artist in honor of PSUSD Arts Coordinator Louisa Castrodale for her Acrylic on Canvas. From Cathedral City High Chris Acevas, from Cathedral City High won the Brighty Godakanda Award for $200 for his photograph “Random Findings” and Alejandro Macias won the $500 Photography Collection Council Award. For his photograph “To the Point.”
Palm Springs High’s Kayla Marnier who won the Fine Arts Creativity Program Purchase Award of $1,000 for her pen and ink on paper “The Runaway.” As one of two artworks chosen for this award, Kayla’s work will be added into the permanent collection of the Education Department at the museum.
“We are delighted to once again have such a strong showing by our District’s students in this prestigious art completion,” said Castrodale. “It is a credit to our students and fine art teachers, and we appreciate the Museum’s commitment to our young people.”
Museum Associates Council (MAC) scholarship recipients ($2,500 each) include; Giovanny Hoyos, Adam Tamez and Morgan Wash from Cathedral City High; and Braulio Oros from Rancho Mirage High.
Each exhibiting student received a certificate of merit and one-year family membership to the Palm Springs Art Museum. Other PSUSD awardees included: Cathedral City High’s Jeanette Gonzalez, Erick Inzunza, Gabriela Marquez, Morgan Wash, Sedona Cruz and Jebari Wooten; From Desert Hot Springs High: Emily Tan; From Palm Springs High: Alec Foster and Carlos Camacho; and from Rancho Mirage High: Carla Esparza.
For more information on the Fine Arts Creativity Awards & Scholarship Program, contact Zachary Fleming-Boyles at zfleming@psmuseum org.
