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Erie 1 BOCES, in partnership with Villa Maria College, hosted its first-ever art competition. A total of 163 students from 10 different school districts, ranging from grades 6 to 12, gathered to showcase their artistic talents in an inspiring and competitive environment.

The event, held at Villa Maria College, challenged students to create a piece of art based on a prompt revealed to them only at the start of the competition. This year’s prompt was “Music in Motion” and challenged the students to create a piece inspired by the feelings invoked by their favorite song, musical artist or genre of music. They had two hours to bring their ideas to life using a medium of their choice. This unique format pushed students to think creatively, execute artistically and practice time management.

Dan Lynch, the event organizer, expressed his enthusiasm about the competition, saying, "We wanted to create an event that not only highlights the incredible talent in our region but also encourages young artists to push their boundaries and explore new creative possibilities. The students' pieces were nothing short of amazing."

A panel of esteemed judges, representing various art institutions and educational programs from around Western New York, evaluated the students' work. The judges assessed the pieces based on creativity, skill, composition, and the conveyed message. It was a daunting task for the judges to take the one hundred sixty three unique pieces and choose only the top three from each category.  Throughout the competition, judges were looking at the works come to life while speaking the students to gain insights on their process and inspiration.

After judging, winners were named in three age categories,  as well in three special categories created by the judges to honor works of distinction.

Emerging Artists (Grades 6-8):

1. Grace Gabel, North Tonawanda
2. Madison Mihalics, Kenton
3. Chloe Christman, Kenton

Intermediate Artists (Grades 9-10):

1. Amanda Tartick, Springville
2. Haley Jacobsen, North Tonawanda
3. Renee Tasevski, Tonawanda

Advanced Artists (Grades 11-12):

1. Chloe Camping, Amherst
2. Ryan Delany, West Seneca
3. Reilly Carney, North Tonawanda

Special Award Winners:

• Advocacy in Art: Kayley Gust, Amherst
• Judges Award: Cali Hofner, Tonawanda
• Storytelling: Leyla Switzer, Amherst

The event was a resounding success, showcasing the artistic skill while bringing together youth artists from throughout the region to inspire and challenge one another. It is the goal that the Art Competition becomes an annual event, continuing to elevate student voice through artistic expression and celebrating the talent throughout the region.