Masuk Free Press

Masuk artists received multiple awards in the Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards. Casey Cummings, Keira Rowley, and Olivia Neel received silver keys and one honorable mention, given to Aiden Cronk, however multiple students submitted their own works, as any student can submit a piece for the competition. Ranks of the honors vary from a gold key, the highest award that allows any student who receives it to move on to the national competitions, to a silver key, the second highest, and an honorable mention, the third highest. 

Competitors are ranked based upon three key factors, as stated on the Regional Scholastic Art Awards website: originality, which means that the work “transcends the parameters of a classroom assignment” and contains “a strong feeling at the core,” Emergence of Personal Vision, defined as work that “represents a sense of a student,” and, of course, skill and technique. 

Monika Gagnon, an art teacher at Masuk, shared her thoughts about the competition. “The most important thing to me is that the students are able to compete against other high schools in the area. It gives them an opportunity to try out other skills and perspectives. It’s a great resume builder, if you’re pursuing art or not.” 

Aiden Cronk, a sophomore, received his award for the art piece, “Drawing of Importance / Abhorrence, Now in 2D!” The drawing used Micron pens, a kind of permanent marker similar to a Sharpie. 

“I’ll be honest, there was not really a thought process behind it. I kind of just drew random stuff,” said Cronk, commenting on his work. “The biggest challenge I faced was getting my artwork done in time. I was a little close to the deadline and I kind of had to rush a little bit, but it came out okay. I definitely learned that you have to be on top of your work, you can’t let it eat you up.”

Casey Cummings, a senior, won a silver key for her drawing “What Lies Beneath.” The drawing was made with acrylic paint. 

“When I first won it, I was kind of in disbelief. I originally wasn’t going to do [the competition],” she said. “There was an opportunity for scholarships, and I felt there was a chance.” Cummings is an AP 2-D Art and Design student, where students are assigned a main theme to do for their artwork and create fifteen works of art based on that theme. 

“My main idea was mental health issues and deceptions. My main theme is about mirrors and things not seeming as they are. I was saying that this is what mental health looks like on the outside, but this is how it really is on the inside.”

Olivia Neel, a junior, won a silver key for her self-portrait, made with charcoal. 

“I was pretty surprised when I won. I thought I would get an honorable mention,” said Neel. “I really wanted to challenge myself with realism. It’s something I’m not very good at, and while I wasn’t very confident going into it, it turned out well.” 

Keira Rowley, a sophomore, won a silver key for her composition “The Center Flame,” made with colored pencils. 

The Masuk art competition never fails to stun the students and faculty alike at the school. Even though there were four winners this year, 11 pieces were submitted to the competition, with many students challenging themselves to go above and beyond in the medium of art. Not only that, but the competition continues to change year by year, which Gagnon has noticed.
“I’ve seen an increase in digital works. We here don’t have the means to do digital work, unfortunately.” she said.

The competition is forever shifting with new ways for students to participate. In general, it keeps the art program engaged, acting as a method for students to submit their best work for the chance of recognition, possibly life-changing scholarships, and, most importantly, providing opportunities for improvement. Any student interested in looking at the winning pieces can go to the Masuk main foyer, where they are on display.