By Amy Davis
This past Sunday, March 10, 2019, the Buford City School System had its annual Art Show. In the show, students representing grades Kindergarten through 12th grade displayed their best art including sculptures, paintings, drawings, and mixed media pieces students brought their family and friends to witness the beauty of the artwork on display.
As an added bonus, 6th through 12th-grade artworks were judged and given honorable mentions or placed 3rd to 1st in their particular groups. There were three students who placed in the middle school category: Hadley Blankenship in 1st place, Andrea Martinez in 2nd place, and Claire LaBrec in 3rd place.
Then the high school split judging between three categories – Visual Art, Advanced Art, and Sculpture. Visual Art honorable mentions were Ansley Randolph, Mikayla Hayden, Alahn Sumler, and Avery Shoemaker; Caroline Henderson won first place. With Advanced Art, Julissa Burgos won first overall, and Noah Cottmeyer, Marc Merlos, Josie Taylor, and Jennifer Velasquez took honorable mention. In the final category, Sculpture, Quentin Skinner, Saxsen Mallory, and Gavin Smith were given honorable mentions and Jordan Sullivan won best overall. All of the art was fantastic, but these stuck out from all the rest.
The Buford Art Club was also involved in the Art Show. They sold many of their own pieces, half the proceeds going to their senior scholarship fund with the other half going back to the student who made the art piece. This event not only shows off some of the best art in the school district, but it helps support our local Art Club and its students.
Thank you to all of the art teachers in Buford for your encouragement and for pushing all your students to be the best they can be. This art is an extension of the artist and allows the person to show who they are. The annual Buford Art Show is one of the most inspirational events Buford City Schools does. Without art in our society, how would anyone be able to express themselves?