Joppatowne High Student Finalist in State-Wide Art Show

From Harford County Public Schools:

The Reginald F. Lewis Museum, in partnership with the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA), recently announced the winners of its Second Annual Maryland Statewide High School Juried Art Show whose artwork will be showcased at the museum from January 17th to February 28th to commemorate the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. The exhibition will feature works by young artists from several regions across the state which include Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, and Prince George’s counties.

Out of 60 entries submitted for this competition, 18 finalists’ pieces were selected to be featured in the show. One of the finalists in this year’s competition is Henry Obi, a tenth grader at Joppatowne High School, who submitted his artwork, “Reflections.” Young artists entered works responding to the theme of art and social issues, as inspired by the museum’s special exhibition, From Process to Print: Graphic Works by Romare Bearden (organized by the Romare Bearden Foundation) on display January 16th to March 28th.

“As jurors, we had a hard time selecting the prize-winning pieces because many were so deserving. Works like ‘War and Its Effects’ (first-place honors), which conveyed social themes and also integrated technical skills similar to Romare Bearden’s works, were the most impressive,” explains Dr. Michelle Joan Wilkinson, director of collections and exhibitions.

The first place winner was Sunmisire Adefioye from Laurel High School, Prince George’s County; second place went to Sophia Felder from Suitland Visual and Performing Arts High School, Prince George’s County; and third place went to Yasmin Naylor, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, Baltimore County. Henry was the only student from Harford County to be named a finalist in this year’s competition.

The winners were honored at the MSEA’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast Program Celebration on Saturday, January 16th and will be acknowledged in the Journeys publication for museum members. Students’ artwork will be displayed at the Maryland State Department of Education March 10th to April 16th and at the Maryland State Education Association April 26th to May 21st. The top three winners received cash prizes of $250, $100 and $75, respectively.

For more information on the program, visit www.africanamericanculture.org.