A Columbia high school student, who drew a tribute to an aunt dying of ALS, won Best of Show and People’s Choice awards at William Woods University during the Emerging Talent High School Art Show.
Margie Crosby, a Rock Bridge High School senior, received her ribbons Jan. 29 during a reception in the Gladys Woods Kemper Center for the Arts. As the Best of Show winner, she is eligible for a $1,000 scholarship toward art studies at William Woods.
First place went to Ryder Russell, a senior at Fulton High School, for his pencil sketch of Johnny Depp in the movie, “The Lone Ranger.” Other winners were Rushali Malatkar of Rockwood Summit High School in Fenton, second place for his acrylic, “Eyes of the Queen,” and Kyle Curtis of Community R-VI High School in Laddonia, third place for his sculpture, “Fruit Snack.”
Crosby created her piece for a class assignment that called for representation of the word “caged.” It brought to mind her aunt, who was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes muscle weakness, paralysis, and ultimately, respiratory failure. Crosby was able to show her finished work titled, “Alive Inside,” to her aunt a month before she died.
All mid-Missouri high school students were invited to submit their artwork for display in the “Missouri
and I” high school art show exhibit. This is the fourth year WWU has hosted a high school art competition. Nicole Petrescu, gallery coordinator, and the William Woods art committee curated the art show.
“The Emerging Talent Show gives us the opportunity to get to better know our community and connect with the young, talented artists who put forward future visions in visual arts. It also gives the area high school students the opportunity to explore the WWU campus, our art program, and to make new friends,” explained Petrescu.
“This year’s exhibition ended up being an amazing display of diverse mediums; the work evolving from the deepest insights that students have portrayed for us in visual form,” she added.
For more information, contact Petrescu at 573-592-4244 or [email protected]
Photo above: The top winners with art professors Bob Elliott and Jane Mudd.