Teen’s art touches on real-life issues

Students from high schools surrounding MHCC were recognized for their work at Mt. Hood’s reception for the Annual Regional High School Art Exhibit in the Visual Arts Gallery, held last Thursday.

The winner of the 2014 Culture Shapers Award, the event’s top honor, was Emily Walker of Sandy High School for her piece “Spirits” which was drawn using stippling technique.

“It was a really big surprise. I didn’t know my teacher had nominated me for it, so it’s really surprising they called my name, but I’m really grateful that I won it,” Walker said about receiving award. “It means a lot to me.”

“Spirits” is a piece that portrays bottles of hard liquor from the eyes of an alcoholic, according to Walker.

Both of her pieces displayed in the show portray social issues she is familiar with. “I looked at the things that I knew a lot about and (had) seen more of – it was domestic abuse and alcoholism and I really knew how those impacted people, so I wanted to express that to other people,” she said.

She plans on being an art therapist: “You work with people, like kids to adults, and you use art to help them express themselves. It’s more of a calming therapy and I (would) also do other therapy work like physical therapy and such.”

Walker is looking forward to attending Lewis & Clark College to double-major in art and psychology. Afterwards, she wants to get a master’s degree in art therapy. She said she expects to be in school for about six to eight years, “but it’d be worth it in the end.”

She is currently taking honors art classes and Advance Placement classes. “It’s kind of hard to find time for art and all of my homework, but I eventually get everything done,” she said.

The award is fitting for Walker, who has been volunteering since middle school, doing environmental work. She is also in the National Honor Society.

Walker tells individuals who are potential artists “to go for it – I know a lot of people see art as a career that [they] might not be very successful in, but I feel passionate about it, I say go for it, and do what you want.”

Many other students had their work recognized, including Sandy High’s Mikayla Lindsey, who won “Best of Show” for her piece titled “Four Days Living, Homeless.” St. Mary’s Academy’s Madeleine Felix got first in Originality for “Metamorphosis,” and Sarah Elliott, also from St. Mary’s, won second in Originality for “Darwin’s Children.”

Sandy High School’s Kayla Anderson won first place for Technical Skill with her piece “Frienemies,” and David Douglas High School’s Tanya Amaya got second place with her “Faceted Bowl Set.”

Walker’s “Spirits” also earned her first place in Composition/Use of Elements, while John Lopez from David Douglas earmed second, with “The Fence.”

The first-place award for Emergence of a Personal Vision/Voice went to Sandy’s Hayley Pullen for her untitled pair of photographs, and second place went to David Douglas’s Emily Beth Yonker for her “Expressive Self Portrait.”

Honorable mentions went to Heather Wait (“Helpng Hand”) and Zlata Danilevski (“Hands of Glory”) of Sandy High; Sam Barlow High School’s Anabel Morales (“Migraine”) and Brandlyn Hval (“Fierce”); Portland Lutheran School’s Jenny Wang, for “Rainbow”; Portland Adventist Academy’s Harry Lang, for “Cup #1”; and Reynolds High School’s Megan Mill, for “Whiteface.”