The next time you visit the Denver Art Museum or 40 West Gallery, you may recognize the names of more than one artist! Currently displayed amongst each location is a collection of impressive and original works by two of Watershed’s own artists: Zora Eckert ‘24 and Calvin Boal ‘26, both of whose submissions were recently selected among thousands of Colorado teens to receive several Scholastic Art Awards!
Since 1947, the prestigious Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recognized and celebrated artwork submitted by teens (grades 7-12) throughout Colorado. Over 5,000 pieces of artwork are submitted by students to the program each year and are judged on the bases of originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Award levels include Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, and American Visions & Voices Nominations.
For her Ceramics & Glass submission, “Mosaic Portrait” and for her fashion submission, “Spinnaker Suit,” Watershed senior Zora was awarded two Gold Key awards. Additionally, her works, “Critical Disability” - Drawing & Illustration (Honorable Mention), “Mask Dress” - Fashion (Silver Key), “Midori” - Mixed Media (Silver Key), and “Jello Surgery” - Painting (Silver Key) received multiple recognitions. Her Gold Key mosaic self-portrait was created in Watershed’s Upcycled Mosaics Skills course earlier this year; throughout the trimester, she was encouraged by educator Chris Carithers to approach the making of mosaics from a constructivist angle and to investigate how the materials and tools work best.
Tenth grader Calvin also received Gold Key awards for each of his three submissions in the Drawing and Illustration category: “Futuristic City,” “Independent,” and “Swamp.” Calvin’s works were submitted as independent projects. When asked about the inspiration behind his work, Calvin said, “I’m drawn to nature as well as architecture; I like recreating what I see in my own way.”
When asked how it feels to create work for the larger community beyond that of Watershed, Zora says, "I feel so proud to have my artwork displayed at the Denver Art Museum. Seeing the artwork from this year's Scholastic winners was very moving and inspirational, and I am thrilled to have my pieces in that gallery space as well. I would encourage anyone to visit the high school gallery, so that they can see the hard work and emotion that was put into all of the beautiful creations."
Calvin and Zora’s Gold Key-awarded pieces will soon be nationally judged by a panel of industry experts. Each Gold Key-awarded work has the potential to receive National Medals, including Gold, Silver, American Visions & Voices, Portfolio Silver with Distinction or Portfolio Gold Medals and Special Awards. National Medalists are eligible for scholarships, cash awards, and tuition assistance.
Do you want to see the work of Watershed artists for yourself? All 2-D work mentioned above will be displayed at the Denver Art Museum through March 7th. Exhibitions are free and open to the public; adult tickets (free but required) to the Denver Art Museum can be picked up at 40 West Gallery.
