16 Students Win Honors for Visual Art in Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of New Hampshire

February 10, 2011

"I definitely want to continue art in my future here at Exeter," says a happy Lydia Stahr '14, who won a Gold Key Award for her pastel drawing of 3 pool balls. And she's not alone. Stahr is one of 16 students who were recently awarded honors in the 2011 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards of New Hampshire.

Cherry Zhang, a new lower whose favorite artist is Monet, won a Gold Key Award for her painting of a woman. Zhang's original inspiration came from a stack of Vogue magazines from the 1960s that Art Instructor Tara Misenheimer had brought into class. "The photo of a beautiful blond woman stood out to me," explains Zhang. "I really liked the tone of the picture and I thought it would be very fun to paint the different hues in the woman's wavy hair. I worked with Ms. Misenheimer, and I enjoyed it a lot because she's always superenthusiastic and encouraging." Zhang first heard about her art award on a campus path. "I was walking out of my dorm when the custodian congratulated me, and I didn't know what she was referring to. That's when I found out that my picture was in The Exonian and that it had won an award. I never thought I would get such an award, so I was nearly jumping up and down in the dorm because it was so hard to resist my happiness."

Spencer Corpuz '11 received a Silver Key Portfolio Award for his set of 8 black-and-white photographs taken at Exeter. "When I started this project, I wanted to see how black-and-white photographs stood apart from their colored counterparts," he explains. "To me, black-and-white photos seemed to bring out the subjects more – without the eye being distracted by things that have bright, vivid colors – and as such, the viewer can focus on the photo as a whole. The goal of my project was to see how this medium worked artistically and apply it to my work." The award came as a "bit of a surprise" to Corpuz, but he "was glad to know that people have enjoyed my work." 

"I submitted my featured work from Art 444 this fall, a printmaking series of ropes," explains Cornelia Clay '11, who also won a Gold Key Award. "I had spent an equal amount of time developing the idea as I had on the execution of the work, so I knew that it represented my artistic vision, my strength as a printmaker, and my eye for composition." Clay's inspirations are varied – including her mother, artist Julia Purinton; Will Cotton (who visited Exeter last year); John Singer Sargent; Banksy; Jonathan Levy; Gustav Klimt; and Andrew, Jamie and N.C. Wyeth. Clay adds that Misenheimer has supported her throughout her years at Exeter with "enthusiasm for my ideas, creativity, and success."

Albert Chu '13, who won a Gold Key for his photograph, cites photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson as his main artistic inspiration. Chu's art photography experience started quite recently in Photography I at Exeter, taught by Art Instructors Steve Lewis and Carla Blakely. "It was a really fun experience and I discovered that I had a passion for photography," he explains. "Under both teachers' inspiration, I have been learning how to use my camera and my eye to capture a photo that is not only beautiful, but captures the fleeting moment, and conveys a sense of meaning or significance."

Exeter students who received awards and honorable mentions:

Aya L. Peters, a 12th-grader from Las Vegas, NV
William "Spencer" Corpuz, a 12th-grader from Millbrae, CA
 Que "Cherry" Zhang, a 10th-grader from Hunan, P.R. China
Albert Chu, a 10th-grader from Exeter, NH
Isobel S. Chisholm, a 12th-grader from Exeter, NH
Lydia M. Stahr, a 9th-grader from Exeter, NH
Toscane Clarey, an 11th-grader from West Newbury, MA
Suzannah R. Glennon, a 10th-grader from Greenland, NH
Cornelia B. Clay, a 12th-grader from Newburyport, MA
Emma K. Lamarche, a 10th-grader from Berwick, ME
Bryn M. Launer, a 12th-grader from Boise, ID
Crystal Lee, a 10th-grader from Fresh Meadows, NY
Christina S. Safford, a 9th-grader from Exeter, NH
Elaine Cheng, a 12th-grader from Cambridge, MA
Helen M. Brumley, a 12th-grader from Lafayette, LA
Dong Yeon "Donna" Choi, an 11th-grader from Seoul, Korea

Recipients of regional awards may be considered for national honors through a national adjudication, which starts in mid-February. The national Scholastic Awards ceremony and exhibition will be held this June in New York City's Carnegie Hall.

Interested in learning more?

Find out more about Exeter's Art Department…

Read the press release on this year's regional awards…

Read about the 5 students who received national awards in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards last year…

Learn about 2 Exonians whose art was featured in an exhibition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities last fall…

– Nicole Pellaton