The Okaloosa County School District and the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation presented the 2023 Okaloosa County K-12 Student Art Show on April 19 and 20, 2023, at the C.H. “Bull” Rigdon Fairgrounds in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. A reception was held on the evening of April 20th to present the Best of Show awards to the middle school and high school artists for 2-D and 3-D works.
Pictured above: Dr. Lee Hale, Eliana Batarao (2D Best of Show High School) FWBHS, Mary Richard (3D Best of Show High School) Crestview HS, Addison Barnard (3D Superlative) Crestview HS, Lexi Schrand (3D Best of Show Middle School) Destin MS, Abby Sweeney’s Dad (2D Best of Show Middle School) Liza Jackson Preparatory School (student was not present). Not pictured – Madison Dees (2D Superlative) Crestview HS.
Congratulations to the 2023 Okaloosa County K-12 Art Show Winners:
2D Superlative - Madison Dees, Crestview HS
Madison Dees is a senior at Crestview High School who will be graduating Suma Cum Laude in May. Maddie has been taking art classes from Lori Phillips since freshman year. She enjoys showing her love of skulls and mental strength and feels deeply about the pieces she creates. Her favorite media is graphite, and her collage was inspired by a cottage she wishes to build and live in one day. Maddie is planning on majoring in Mortuary Sciences in hopes of becoming a Funeral Director.
3D Superlative - Addison Barnard, Crestview HS
Addison Barnard loves pottery. “It’s safe to say that pottery is my favorite subject hands down, said Barnard. “I could never imagine not having pottery in my life. Some people say that they don’t like pottery because they don’t like the feeling of the clay or that they just aren’t good at it, but for me, pottery is an outlet or escape: it is a way for me to just let go. What I make may not always be great, but I do what I can, how I can. In the future, I would like to use this talent to my advantage and become a pottery teacher. This goal is something that I hope to achieve because I would truly love for this to be my life’s work.”
2D High School Best of Show - Eliana Batarao, FWBHS
Art is a huge part of Eliana Batarao’s life. She grew up drawing ballgowns with poofy skirts and then began to take art classes in school to further her art skills. Since taking Advanced Placement (AP) Art, she has been able to figure out what art means to her. “I love to draw people, and capture the emotion that people portray,” said Batarao. “Emotion is such a vast thing that there’s just so much to draw, and I think it’s just so interesting that humans can feel a certain way and it translates to an expression. I also discovered I love color, something that is intriguing to look at, and playing around with exaggerated or unnatural skin tones to make a simple portrait look livelier. I don’t think art has to always be deep or have meaning behind it. I often actually just draw things because I think it would be fun. But when a piece does have a meaning, it’s always based on a feeling that I’ve been recently feeling. I turn my emotion into an art piece and display it in an artistic matter. Even if I’m feeling sad or upset, I can turn that into a beautiful painting or drawing and I think that’s the beauty of art.”
3D High School Best of Show - Mary Richard, Crestview HS
Mary Richard likes to paint and play soccer. She plans to attend college for interior design or Urban planning.
2D Middle School Best of Show - Abby Sweeney, Liza Jackson Preparatory School
Abby Sweeney has been creating art since she was young and loves to explore different mediums such as charcoal and colored pencil. She enjoys creating realistic images that capture the beauty or emotions in her life. This charcoal piece was Abby’s first attempt at using charcoal. She wanted to capture a goofy family tradition, where each member squishes their face, and sends the photo. Recreating the image in charcoal allowed her to capture the joy and the silliness she loves from her family. Art has been and will continue to be a pillar in Abby’s future. Abby is excited to go to high school and further her art education to improve her skills and explore other art like logo design.
3D Middle School Best of Show - Lexi Schrand, Destin MS
Lexi Schrand’s favorite hobby is drawing and creating art. She likes seeing her art slowly come to life. “Ever since second grade I’ve had a passion for art,” said Schrand. “The more I practiced the better I became even when I thought about giving up. I enjoy every type of art such as painting, sketching, coloring, sculpting, sewing, and crocheting. My art classes in school introduced me to new art techniques and different types of art.”