Title of Art Piece: Rustic Teapot Category: Ceramics Student/Artist’s Name: Ole Schuldt School: West Valley High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: This is a wheel thrown piece that was altered after. Cone 6 fired gray and red clay. Clear glaze on top. Artwork Dimensions: 5×5 Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Violetful Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Sophia Meneses School: Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: While capturing this piece of so-called art, what I imagined while taking this photography was something fluid and dreamlike. Where the color purple would blend in together, creating a contrast to feel calm. Though I hope it invites you to pause, and feel the way this photography makes myself feel. Artwork Dimensions: 11"x11" Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Strips Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Marnilyn Sila School: Bettye Davis East Anchorage High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: To overcome Darkness, you must let Light in. While creating this image, I imagined being in a dark room with light just beyond reach, slowly coming through the blinds. The light represents hope and truth, showing that even in darkness, there is always a way for light to enter if we allow it. Artwork Dimensions: 11"x15" Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Louie Category: Mixed Media Student/Artist’s Name: Andie Campbell School: Service High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: In this piece, I had fun working with the bright colors of the oil pastels to contrast the difference between Louie’s dark fur and the warm highlights from the sun. This was one of my first pieces using this medium, so I enjoyed experimenting with different layers and blending techniques to make him feel alive. My goal was to capture the unique way Louie’s curiosity shines through his expressions. Artwork Dimensions: 12 x 16 Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: One Orange Brain Cell Category: Jewelry / Metalsmithing Student/Artist’s Name: Kristin Hosack School: Service High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: I chose to make a cat-themed piece because I love cats. The colors of brass and copper reminded me of the colors of an orange cat and are what inspired me to make this piece. This pendant represents an important progression of my jewelry skills as my first piece as an advanced jewelry artist. I love this piece and I am very proud of it as an artist. Artwork Dimensions: 3inches high X .75 inches wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Sunflowers Hope Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Kyle Pineda School: Service High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: Sunflowers are a symbol of devotion, happiness, and optimism in life. The sunbeam shining on the vividly colored sunflower conveys warmth and comfort, while the dark background symbolizes the limitless difficulties life provides. When you feel as though your life has wandered off into a dark void of hurt and negativity, and you feel completely lost, as though you're only trapped in a fog of your own pessimistic thoughts. It pulls you out as a beam of hope or a guiding light. I wanted the spectator of this painting to experience the warmth and shimmering hope that sunflowers offer, similar to how individuals feel…
Title of Art Piece: The Fear of Flowers Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Marry-Jane Saputski School: Joe Redington Sr. Jr/SR High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: This is a piece for the fear of Flowers. This piece is to express that flowers are beautiful, but to some people, they look at them and start to get anxiety and feel fear. This piece is made with two canvases, both acrylic, and lots of layering. Artwork Dimensions: 22" high x 13" wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Red Reaction Category: Drawing Student/Artist’s Name: Karita Anderson School: Juneau Douglas High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: Originally, this piece was just supposed to be a silly tomato guy, but as I progressed on it I realized it had turned into something more than that. I always thought it looked funny whenever a man turned bright red when angry and thought of the phrase “As red as a tomato,” so I decided to turn that into a piece of artwork. As I worked on this, it got me thinking about people in power and how many of them are used to having everything handed to them, so whenever something doesn’t go their way, they react to it in an extreme…
Title of Art Piece: Impetus Category: Drawing Student/Artist’s Name: Zeighlah Gunther-Cowles School: West Anchorage High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: I created this self portrait using black and white charcoal on a large piece of cardboard. I really enjoy using charcoal because of the way it can show dimension and detail, as well as emotion. With charcoal I feel like I can fully show detail and clearly emphasize how I feel with no limits of color. This piece is probably one of my favorites I've ever created; it has strong emotions through the "burning" of the cardboard but yet my face is very softspoken. I chose to call it "Impetus" because it means a driving force. The way im looking into the burns is…
Title of Art Piece: The Many of Me Category: Ceramics Student/Artist’s Name: Anelyn Holland School: Galena City Schools Grade: 10th Artist Statement: My artwork is a clay piece with three depictions of myself standing in a triangle formation wearing different outfits. I began the process of making this piece by sketching my ideas in my sketchbook. Next, I shaped the clay into spheres and cubes. I scored, connected and shaped the clay pieces. After letting the clay dry, I painted it with acrylic paint and finished it with two coats of glaze. I was inspired by the designs of Funko Pops, the different variations of their characters. My goal was to make something that looked like me. I accomplished my goal because you can…
Title of Art Piece: Prince, Bull, Prisoner Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Jayden Hollon School: West Anchorage High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: This piece is meant to explore three aspects of the Minotaur, Prince Asterion, The Bull of Crete, and the Imprisoned Minotaur. Each figure of the Minotaur represents both an identity and a possible outcome of his future. Life in royal luxury, death at the hands of a hero, or slowly drowning in sorrow as he is trapped in the labyrinth. The piece is made with oil paints over acrylic, and contains a pallete of ocher and blue. Artwork Dimensions: 26 inches high x 14 inches wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Relaxed Rabbit Category: Printmaking Student/Artist’s Name: Kirra Sweetsir School: Galena City Schools Grade: 10th Artist Statement: My artwork features a rabbit laying on its side. This specific way a rabbit lays down shows that a rabbit is relaxed and comfortable. This is a relief block print. I drew a rabbit laying down and eventually added the design surrounding the rabbit and transferred the art onto my block. I carefully carved my design into the block. Eventually I was ready to print my work on multiple pieces of paper. My artwork was inspired by my own rabbit, who tends to flop on her side like this after I pet her. The designs are inspired by doodles that I often enjoy drawing….
Title of Art Piece: “Motherhood by Choice, Not by Mandate” Category: Communication Arts / Graphic Design Student/Artist’s Name: Kat (Kathryn) Cooke School: South Anchorage High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: Women have been mistreated and limited for years. Abortion is a right to healthcare; it should not be seen as right or wrong, but as a necessity. One of the counterarguments to this right is to not have sex if one does not want to be pregnant, but the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that one quarter of adolescent females report their abusive male partners were trying to get them pregnant. Females need the option to terminate a pregnancy, especially if it was a violation of her rights. Women are not incubators…
Title of Art Piece: Deneege Netl’-aanh Category: Multicultural Art Student/Artist’s Name: Hazel Strassburg School: Galena City Schools Grade: 9th Artist Statement: My artwork is a painting of a cow and calf moose walking on the riverbank in the winter. The title of it is "Deneege Netl-'aanh" which means "I see a moose" in Denaakk'e. The material I used was watercolor paint. My inspiration was just seeing moose walking about in the winteritme. Artwork Dimensions: 9 x 12 in Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Sandra Bloome Category: Communication Arts / Graphic Design Student/Artist’s Name: Lizzy (Elizabeth) Ekstrom School: South Anchorage High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: The intention of this project was to design a character that could potentially be used for an animated film, book series, or tv show. Inspiration for this character came from my love of nature in Alaska. I wanted to incorporate my love of plant life in Alaska with a kind of superpower. From this I made a magic sketchbook. I have a nature journaling watercolor kit that I have brought with me in most of my travels, like Blackstone Bay, Seldovia, and Flattop. I also have long been interested in the restoration of native plant populations in Alaska….
Title of Art Piece: Gerome-Fitze Winchester Category: Communication Arts / Graphic Design Student/Artist’s Name: Audrey Miranda School: South Anchorage High School Grade: 9th Artist Statement: This piece was created in alcohol ink for the purpose of a character concept idea for a possible novel, animated tv show, or maybe a picture book. The inspiration for him was from a children's depiction of a cowfolk but a little more mature. His character is meant to be a sort of flamboyant ignorant type who really only cares about how he looks. He cannot actually use his guns yet has a way with words. I never had any plan to use his character so I hope someone could take inspiration and use him in their own works….
Title of Art Piece: Alaska’s Antler Category: Multicultural Art Student/Artist’s Name: Madelaina Pilot School: Galena City Schools Grade: 10th Artist Statement: My piece shows a moose antler with various Alaska related symbols and objects. I used acrylic paint on a Masonite board. I was inspired by the Alaskan artist Crystal Worl, and how she represents her culture in her artwork. I incorporated items that represent my Koyukon Athabascan culture in “Alaska’s Antler”. Artwork Dimensions: 12 x 14 Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: The Little Things I Do with My Mom Category: Drawing Student/Artist’s Name: Grace Scott School: South Anchorage High School Grade: 9th Artist Statement: This piece is created in graphite. It is a still life of objects that my family collects for Christmas. Artwork Dimensions: 9" high x 12" wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Before I Commit Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Maria Nafzger School: South Anchorage High School Grade: 9th Artist Statement: This piece is created using acrylic paint depicting the myth of Persephone and the pomegranate. Artwork Dimensions: 10" high x 8" wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Two Ravens Category: Printmaking Student/Artist’s Name: Kirra Sweetsir School: Galena City Schools Grade: 10th Artist Statement: This print shows two ravens looking at each other from separate trees whose branches are starting to become intertwined. This symbolizes meeting someone and getting closer to them. The more you know them, the stronger your bond gets, which is why the branches start intertwining. My artwork medium for this piece is relief printmaking on linoleum block. I started with a sketch, and before I finished it, I transferred it to the block and then finished the drawing right on the block. Carving everything out took a long time, but all the time was work it. A friend gave me an idea for this art…
Title of Art Piece: Eye Am Alaska Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Claire Schneider School: Juneau Douglas High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: Eye am Alaska reflects my connection to the wildlife and landscapes that shape my identity, using three distinct animal eyes to represent the diversity, resilience, and spirit of the place I call home. Each eye captures a different way of seeing the world—ocean, forest, and land—mirroring the environments that define Alaska’s character and my own experiences growing up here. By focusing on close‑up detail and bold color, I wanted to show how every creature carries a story, and how those stories overlap with my own sense of belonging. This piece is both a tribute to the animals that surround us and a…
Title of Art Piece: Tell the Wasp Category: Jewelry / Metalsmithing Student/Artist’s Name: Riley Baski School: West Anchorage High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: I made this piece based on the Scottish practice of beekeepers telling the bees hive by hive about major events like death. This was done because bees were seen as messengers to the deceased. I exemplified this by merging the depiction of The Reaper first found in art after the Bubonic plague with this Celtic association with bees and the great beyond. I transferred my design to the copper using embossing and repoussé. I gave it a patina by heating the metal with a hot plate. To highlight the scythe I created a pale blue and the blue is a…
Title of Art Piece: Raven Totem Category: Multicultural Art Student/Artist’s Name: William Cannon School: Palmer High School Grade: 9th Artist Statement: This is a project I did for a History of Alaska class, but I really like how it turned out. I tried to illustrate the story of Raven with different animals representing parts of the story and the sun in his mouth at the top of the totem as the focal point. I draw a lot of animals and for this project I tried to use a more illustrative style and stick with colors representative of the Tlingit and Haida groups. I liked the project so much I actually painted a second totem with animals representing aspects of my life. Artwork Dimensions: 60…
Title of Art Piece: Tough Hide Category: Drawing Student/Artist’s Name: Kilee Gose School: Palmer High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: I made this piece mostly just for fun. We were assigned this project in my sophomore year as a charcoal study, and I had originally only made the middle piece. This year, I decided to complete the whole drawing myself, so I went back and made the horns. It's the largest artwork I've made, and I'm honestly pretty proud of it. It was a really fun piece with no meaning, which made it less stressful to make. I had barely used charcoal prior to the original and was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it. The artwork reflects my journey through art and…
Title of Art Piece: Black & White Teapot Category: Ceramics Student/Artist’s Name: Avon Yocum School: Palmer High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: This year I spent a lot of time on the pottery wheel and wanted to challenge myself with something new. I decided to make a teapot and spent many hours keeping the pot moisture just right so I could attach the spot and fit the lid. It was definitely a learning process. I really liked the way it turned out, even the glaze was evenly applied and added to the shape of the piece. It was the first time fitting a handle to my pot and that also took some time to learn. This teapot jump started a journey into making larger…
Title of Art Piece: Alaska in the Springtime Category: Mixed Media Student/Artist’s Name: Viviana Reyes-Arce School: West Anchorage High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: I made a landscape that shows a mountain in Alaska in the spring time. I created the piece by felting wool roving onto a piece of felt. I was reminiscing about summer and chose an image that had a good background, middleground, and foreground. Artwork Dimensions: 10 Inches High x 8 Inches Wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Dad’s Tomato Sauce Category: Ceramics Student/Artist’s Name: Elizabeth Johnson School: North Pole High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: This piece is part of a collection made to match my families recipes over the years. This is a utensil holder inspired by my dad's tomato sauce that was always found on the stove in my childhood. Artwork Dimensions: 5 1/2 Inches High X 5 Inches Wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Sítʼ Aantʼaakú Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Riley Soboleff School: Juneau-Douglas Grade: 11th Artist Statement: Sítʼ Aantʼaakú is an interpretation of the Mendenhall Glacier, exploring the connections among Alaskan elements. The mix of realistic and abstract forms demonstrates the unique quality of the Alaskan landscape. The Indigenous element of formline represents the importance of the generations before us (melted glacial water below), the present (the glacier), and future generations (the formline in the sky). The plants at the bottom of the art piece are all species native to the Juneau region, many of them associated with Indigenous practices and traditions. The plants from left to right are: devil’s club (s’áxt’), fiddlehead fern (K’wálx), Alaska blueberry (kanatʼá), twisted stalk watermelon berry (tleikw kahínti),…
Title of Art Piece: Dysmorphia Category: Painting Student/Artist’s Name: Madelyn McCain School: North Pole High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: noun- 1. a mental condition characterized by extreme preoccupation with self-perceived defects in the appearance of the body; body dysmorphic disorder. This painting is part of a series exploring phobias Artwork Dimensions: 10 Inches High X 8 Inches Wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Golden Silence Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Jaime Crespo Lopez School: West Valley High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: This image originated from a photo of simple leaves lying on the ground; through some editing, I managed to achieve these distinct colors. It is the photograph that led me to discover that one of my favorite things to capture is simple, small details. I really love how you can appreciate all the various leaf colors present—as well as the intricate details of each one—along with the interplay of light and shadow. Artwork Dimensions: 6000 x 4000 px Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Medusa Category: Sculpture Student/Artist’s Name: Clara Klauder School: Palmer High School Grade: 9th Artist Statement: I am a voracious reader and have always been into ancient stories and mythology. We were working on paper Mache in a 3D art class and I wanted to try to make a Medusa head that looked like stone. I learned a lot with the sculpting and using foam clay to add detail and fill in cracks. I felt relieved when I was ready to paint, as it is my preferred medium and I was tiring of sculpting the snake hair. I built up a lot of gray values on the surface and added the green mossy effect at the end. I used a bit…
Title of Art Piece: Untitled Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Bianca Gonzales School: West Anchorage High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: My photos have the common theme of friendship and playfulness. By taking many candid photos of my friends, the big idea is the playful friendship dynamics that a camera and candids can capture. My goal was to present a colorful, funky, and playful portfolio of friends. With these types of photos, I find a lot of enjoyment in creating joyful photos of people and seeing that real representation of relationships. Artwork Dimensions: 5 Inches High x 10 Inches Wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Dangerous But Beautiful Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Ethan Wagner School: West Valley High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: Last summer me and 2 friends sought on an adventure, we wanted to visit Mt Rainier National Park, take pictures, and make memories we could look back on. Throughout the visit we hiked the “Skyline Loop” it was 5.7 miles, and provided the most amazing views anyone could ask for, as we were hiking I crouched like a fool in the middle of the trail, and snapped this photo, the flowers filling the foreground and Rainier towering over the background gives the sense on how unbelievably big this mountain is. I picked the name “Dangerous But Beautiful” because while it is a…
Title of Art Piece: Door of Possibilities Category: Jewelry / Metalsmithing Student/Artist’s Name: Allie Guzy School: Service High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: I wanted my piece to have some sort of movement, to be different, unique, interactive, so I made a door. I made a little door that sits tall on my finger, that I can open and look through a little snapshot of life. I never made a hollow ring before and this piece gave me a lot of challenges, but I really l'm proud of this little door. Artwork Dimensions: 2 Inches High, 1/3 inches Width wide, 1/4 in Depth Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Jellyfish Fields Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Aspen Puckett School: West Valley High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: This photo was taken at a museum in Florida during Christmas break of 2025. I took this photo because the color of the jellyfish is very well contrasted with the background color or the aquarium. I love how detailed the jellyfish is and how the colors are bright. Artwork Dimensions: 4000 x 6000 px Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Kissing The Fire Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Claire Schneider School: Juneau Douglas High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: This piece reflects my fascination with moments that feel both intimate and volatile, using the small flame of a match to explore how light can expose emotion while hinting at danger. By isolating the mouth and the glow, I wanted to create a scene that feels close enough to be personal yet charged with uncertainty, as if something is about to shift. The warm illumination softens the features even as the fire introduces tension, capturing my interest in how a single spark can transform a quiet moment into one filled with possibility. Artwork Dimensions: 9 inches wide x 12 inches high …
Title of Art Piece: The Deepest Rage Can Explode Category: Drawing Student/Artist’s Name: Devon Edwin School: North Pole High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: I am exploring the imager of rage as it begins inside and comes out in different forms. Artwork Dimensions: 11 Inches Wide X 14 Inches High Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork
Title of Art Piece: Perfectly Normal Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Adrian Tibbs School: West Valley High School Grade: 10th Artist Statement: I wanted to create an unsettling feeling. The boy is disintegrating, while the woman doesn’t care and the man is taking a photo of it. This is how I personally feel about society. While tragedy is running rampant around the world, some chose to ignore it and others capture it just because they think it’s funny. Some people might capture it to show the world the negativity and bring attention to it, but no matter what, there will be people who ignore it or even try to justify it. I chose the title because while something is obviously wrong, some would chose to…
Title of Art Piece: Where The Quiet Lives Category: Photography Student/Artist’s Name: Claire Schneider School: Juneau Douglas High School Grade: 12th Artist Statement: This piece captures a moment of stillness in a place that feels both vast and deeply personal, reflecting my connection to the quiet, rain‑soaked landscapes that shape life in Alaska. By showing the figure from behind, I wanted to emphasize the feeling of stepping into solitude—of being small in a world that is overwhelmingly alive with mist, color, and movement. The soft greens, wet pavement, and distant hills create a sense of calm introspection, inviting the viewer to imagine their own thoughts in that space. This work is about finding peace in isolation, grounding yourself in nature, and recognizing the beauty…
Title of Art Piece: “Spike” the Mallard Category: Mixed Media Student/Artist’s Name: Karita Anderson School: Juneau Douglas High School Grade: 11th Artist Statement: This was a 3D paper mache project. This Mallard is built around a plastic ice cream container to create the plant holder. Artwork Dimensions: 11 inches length x 7 inches high x 6 inches wide Additional Images: Adjudicate Artwork