Welcome to the Art Department!

We find reasons to celebrate art in the Mentor Schools Community everyday, and our students are encouraged to participate in local, state and national events, shows and competitions throughout the year. Our newsletter offers more information about current events and even more amazing artwork from our creative students!

Laketran is pleased to announce the winners of our first Design a Bus Wrap Art Contest. Area students were encouraged to design a bus wrap showcasing the theme “Lake County Pride” and could include iconic images of Lake County and/or promote public transportation. Go to https://laketran.com/art-contest-winners-announced/

Olivia Indre, senior at Mentor High School, won first prize for the entry themed, “For a Greener Future.” As the top winner, Indre’s design will be displayed on one of Laketran’s Local Route buses for six months. Congratulations also goes out to our Third Place winner, Erik Shelstad, from Mentor High School.

We invite you to join us in celebration of the 2021 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards with a live virtual ceremony at noon on Saturday, January 30.

The live virtual ceremony will feature Gold Key work, with Silver Key and Honorable Mention recognitions viewable on Cleveland Institute of Art's vimeo page. During this ceremony, students will be recognized by a slide including their name and the work receiving the award. You'll hear from our keynote speakers—painter Davon Brantley and poet Zach Savich—as well as various award donors congratulating the students on their achievements.

You can watch the ceremony with us on Facebook; if you don't have a Facebook account, you can watch along online on our website.

Mentor High School students participated in this juried exhibition and gained national recognition for their work. Congratulations to seniors Josh Luboski and Bethany McVey, and juniors Olivia Spieker and Hannah Jamieson!

NAHS/NJAHS Juried Exhibition Is Open!

Congratulations to the 93 student artists whose work was selected for inclusion into the 2021 NAHS/NJAHS Juried Exhibition! Thank you to the 1,187 students who submitted artwork. The exhibit opens today in the NAEA Virtual Gallery. View and share the exhibit now.

See it here

The 2nd Annual Juried High School Art Exhibition is LIVE! View the full exhibition here:https://www.otterbein.edu/art/art-exhibit-schedule/2020-annual-juried-high-school-art-exhibition/

Congratulations to all student exhibitors including Sydney B., Olivia D., Elise P. and Sadie Z. from Mentor High School. A live Zoom reception and awards ceremony was held on Thursday, November 19 at 7pm.

The Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition, now in its fiftieth year, is dedicated to the educational and artistic advancement of our talented young people in the state of Ohio. The exhibition is open to all of Ohio's 1,112 high schools, both public and private, chartered by the State of Ohio Department of Education. Our purpose is to provide all budding young artists of the state with opportunities to advance their talent, whether that be through scholarships or simply experiencing the process of entering their work in a competition. The exhibition is a valuable incentive for our young people; it encourages an appreciation for the arts throughout Ohio and reflects the fine quality of art instruction and talent which exist in our state.

Congratulations to three of our fine artists whose work (pictured above) was selected as part of this prestigious exhibition. From the Executive Director: There will not be an awards ceremony in 2020. Award letters and certificates are still possible, but a timeline for that is uncertain. I am still hoping that we may be able to install a State Exhibition at the Rhodes Tower before summer. A viewing of the exhibition for students, parents and teachers could be possible in late May if all of the closures and restrictions are lifted. Please continue to check this website for future updates. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Along with other high schools in our area, we are also participating in the Singing in the Rain Umbrella Project through LEAF. The Open House to see all of the umbrellas (and the TOP 35) was held on Sunday, February 2nd from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm at the BK Smith Gallery in Royce Hall on the campus of Lake Erie College. Staff, students and parents were welcomed. These student-designed umbrellas are currently hanging at the Great Lakes Mall through April and are will be auctioned off to benefit LEAF programs. The "Singing in the Rain" Benefit Auction Saturday, April 18th at 2:00 pm at the Mall was cancelled.

This auction would have benefitted LEAF's Umbrella Project, so that they could continue to provide free umbrellas and art materials to high school art classrooms and fund college scholarships. At auction, these unique works of art would have raised anywhere from $50 - $125, helping LEAF continue this one-of-a-kind experience for art students in the future.

Today, during these challenging times, we are asking you to support LEAF, and recognize our students unique artistic talents, by purchasing an umbrella at https://leaf-ohio.org/buy-an-umbrella/?product-page=2

Our Mentor High PTSA is proud to announce our STATE winners in the Reflections Contest! Award of Excellence, Paige Stanek (photo), Award of Outstanding Achievement, Kate Carroll (photo) and Madison Bregitzer (visual art)!

Normally State-level Award of Excellence (1st), Outstanding Achievement (2nd) honorees, and Award of Merit (3rd) honorees receive

· Invitation to the Ohio PTA Reflections Celebration Luncheon

· The opportunity to showcase their artwork at Ohio State PTA Convention Reflections Gallery

· Recognition at the Reflections Celebration Luncheon

However due to Covid-19, the Luncheon has been postponed as the April convention has been cancelled.

In uncertain times like these, it is sometimes hard to feel as if we can do anything that could make a difference. However, the arts are incredibly important for creativity, growth, and overall health. This painting by one of our Fine Art Four students just received a National Medal in the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge our amazing young artists, whose words and images remind us how bright our future remains. When I look at "Little Things Mean Big" I see a moment that depicts what everyday life looked like just a few weeks ago. When I think about the title I am reminded that little things DO mean big, and what a timely message for all of us. How does this award winning artwork speak to you? Take a moment to really look at the piece and think about what it means to you personally.

I am always struck by the talent and passion that our students display through their work every day. We will support each other and get through this together.

Mrs. Kane

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to share some good news in a difficult week.

On Monday, almost 3,000 teens across the country learned that they had been recognized with a National Medal in the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards—the most prestigious honor an American teen can receive for their creative work. As all of us grapple with public health concerns, the closings of schools and businesses, and major disruptions to our lives, it can be hard to know where to turn for inspiration. So, I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge these amazing young people, whose words and images remind us how bright our future remains. To see a list of this year’s Medalists, please visit artandwriting.org.

Like all of you, our team at the Art & Writing Awards has had to adapt to circumstances that change by the day and, sometimes, by the hour. This message was originally supposed to introduce the latest edition of our bi-monthly newsletter, including updates about educators’ residencies and programs for alumni. We look forward to sharing this information and more, when the time is right. In the meantime, we wanted to let you know how excited we are to announce our 2020 Medalists. We look forward to celebrating them in New York City in June. We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide updates when they are available.

On a personal note, I want to express my appreciation for my colleagues at the Art & Writing Awards, our Board, our partners and supporters, and the educators and families who make our programs possible.

Most especially, I want to thank every young person who submitted to the Awards. These teens had the courage to put something of themselves into their creative work and share it with all of us. For that, I want to congratulate and thank the hundreds of thousands of young people who participated in our program this year. You give us all hope.

Warm regards,

Christopher Wisniewski
Executive Director
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers/Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Thirteen works from Mentor High have been selected for the 2020 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Our students have been recognized for their vision, ingenuity, and talent, and are provided opportunities for their creativity to be celebrated. Ceremonies and exhibition reception were held at The Cleveland Institute of Art on Saturday, January 18.

Congratulations to these students: Nadia Bauman, Sydney Baxter, Darya Evsikova ,

Elise Provident, Natalie Upholz, Hannah Vicente, Mariana Viskovic, Leah Wyum, Sadie Zeedrich,

Bri Yee, Grace Gielink.

The Scholastic Awards Summer (SAS) Scholarship Program provides students who have been recognized by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards an opportunity to attend summer art or writing programs on a full-tuition scholarship. Students do not apply for specific summer programs, instead they apply for a SAS Scholarship, and we work with our partners to place students into a program that will work best for them based on their availability, location, and interests.

Eligibility: Students in grades 7–11 who receive a Gold or Silver Key and complete a SAS Scholarship Application are eligible for a SAS Scholarship. Individual programs may set additional criteria. Go to:

https://www.artandwriting.org/scholarships/sas-scholarships/

Four art works from Mentor High have been selected for exhibition in the National Art Education Association (NAEA) Studio & Gallery. The exhibit will be on display January 27 - April 10, 2020 at 901 Prince Street Alexandria, VA 22314. Congratulations to Nadia Bauman, Kayla O’Donnell, Ivana Strauss, Bri Yee.

Five art works from Mentor High were selected for inclusion in the NAEA Virtual Gallery and will be showcased on the NAEA website. The Virtual Gallery will be available for viewing beginning on January 27, 2020 at: https://www.arteducators.org/opportunities/naea-studio-gallery-exhibitions/current-exhibitions. Congratulations to Olivia Indre, Leah Wyum, Sadie Zeedrich,

Josh Luboski, Robbie Pniewski.

Service-learning refers to learning that actively involves students in a wide range of experiences, which often benefit others and the community, while also advancing the goals of a given curriculum. One of the best ways our art students get involved is through their participation in The Memory Project. High school art students create portraits as special gifts for children around the world who have faced war, violence, poverty, neglect, family loss, or other challenges. learn more about the project here https://www.memoryproject.org/

This year we created 44 portraits!

Digital Arts classes have been busy designing logos for our community and small local businesses. Congratulations to Ivana Strauss who designed the winning logo for MoTime Meals. Congratulations to Emily Davis who designed the logo for the upcoming airshow at Lake County’s Executive Airport (Lost Nation Airport) this summer.

On November 11, 2008, Mentor High School rededicated its Wall of Freedom, a 30-by-40 foot mural featuring a plaque bearing the names of 31 former Mentor students who gave their lives in service of their country. The project was launched by Mr. Steve Couch and the wall was painted by students in Fine Art 4 that year. The wall features a waving flag and a silhouette of a soldier. The wall also holds 30 historical documents donated by the Exchange Club of Western Lake County. This year Mentor High School has earned a Purple Star Award given by the Ohio Department of Education. The Purple Star Award is for military-friendly schools that show a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. We are one of only forty-one schools throughout Ohio to earn this recognition this year. Thank you to Mr. Chad Russo who was the lead in this process. Prior to the Veterans Day Ceremony this year, Fine Art 4 students re-painted the mural. Our Purple Star Award will hang on our Wall of Freedom. We are so proud that the Art Department was involved with this project!

Email: kane@mentorschools.org
Location: 6477 Center Street, Mentor, OH, USA
Phone: 4409745300

The Mentor High School Art Department is an award-winning department at local, state and national levels. We offer art classes from beginners to Advanced Placement (college level), which means over 500 students take part in a variety of art classes throughout their day. We value arts education and feel it is an anchor to our heARTs!

Thank you for your continued support,

The Mentor High School Art Department

Mrs. Ambrus, Mrs. Kane, Mr. Sanelli, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Toot, Mrs. Wolski