Senior art students across Beaver County were invited to submit two pieces of their original art work at the Merrick Art Gallery Competition in New Brighton. School districts that participated in the competition were Beaver Area, Blackhawk, Central Valley, Hopewell, New Brighton, and Western Beaver.

Beaver Area students who submitted art to the competition included seniors Rachael Lamb, Georgia Engle, Laenee McCoy, Chloe Meyer, and Zane Atkins. Congratulations to Lamb for winning first place!

Lamb submitted two stained glass creations; her winning piece, When Worlds Collide, incorporated her passion for welding and stained glass into a creative masterpiece. Lamb’s second submission, Meex’s Mushrooms, was a commissioned piece for her friend.

“I’m really grateful that I was able to enter my artwork into the competition. The most important thing to me about shows like this one is to show people what I do and get them interested. It was also really amazing to see everyone else’s art and support them,” Lamb said.

McCoy received an honorable mention for her stipple ink drawing All around Quokka which was inspired by her love for K-pop music. Her other piece that was submitted was Not Dead, Just Empty which was based off of musician Chase Atlantic’s songs “Consume” and “Empty”.

Engle was awarded an honorable mention for her oil painting Mt. Helena that pays homage to her childhood home: Helena, Montana. Engle’s second submission was Saturday Breakfast, a painting that represents her experiences of sisterhood and home responsibilities.

Atkins submitted an acrylic Pseudo Self-Portrait and You Can Dance, an ink drawing influenced by his love for Madonna and her music.

Meyer submitted an oil painting Fourth of July and the happiness she feels on that day and The Beauty of Creation a printmaking project based on human and nature connection.

It was an honor to be a part of this competition—congratulations to all the participants!