Winners of the Davis Arts Council 2024 Student Art Competition & Exhibit were announced at an opening reception held last week and their work will hang in the Snow Horse Art Gallery in the Davis Conference Center through Jan. 8. The competition was for 9th-12th grade students to give them the opportunity to display their work publicly. 

The winners were, with a tie for 1st place:

1st Place: Alexandra Youngblood – “Smile”  

1st Place: Halle Crandall – “Everyone Feels”  

3rd Place: Faith Sills – “A Peaceful Stroll” 

Honorable Mention: Kate Curless – “Observant Octopus” 

Honorable Mention: Bryce Slade – “Forever and Beautiful Sky” 

Honorable Mention: Kortnee Packer – “Arctic”

“I’ve done art for as long as I can remember,” said Syracuse High senior Alexandra Youngblood. “But I really fell in love with it in seventh grade. I like the concepts behind it. I’ve really worked hard on it.”

Youngblood said she’s very broad with the art she does. “I’ve tried every medium I can think of. I like to capture the expressions in people. That’s my favorite thing to draw.”

Her winning piece, “Smile” is a self portrait, she said. “I like to try and mirror myself. The portrait was from a picture I took.”

 Youngblood said she likes to combine faces and create her own type of people. “I find it fascinating.”

Last year, Youngblood said her teacher encouraged her to enter the contest. “I won second place. I love this art contest.”

The judging is done before the show, she said. “They unveil the winning art at the opening reception. It’s very exciting. I love it. I think it’s so fun. I love seeing other student art. It’s so inspirational the creativity among my peers.”

Halle Crandall with her first place entry “Everyone Feels.” Photo courtesy of Michelle Starr.

Halle Crandall is a senior at Davis High School. “I’ve done art all of my life but I rediscovered it in high school. I didn’t know how much I loved it until I took a sophomore painting class.”

It’s relaxing, she said. “I can spend time on my pieces and enjoy the final outcome.”

Her painting “Everyone Feels” is a portrait of her younger sister. “It’s about not having to store your emotions. It’s OK to feel sad or angry. You don’t have to bottle it up all of the time. That’s something I’ve experienced all of my life. You’re supposed to be just happy, you're not allowed to be sad. It can be overwhelming to keep that all inside.”

Crandall said she spends many hours on each piece. “People aren’t easy to paint if you know them. It takes more time and it’s more complicated.”

“I’ve been sending student artwork to the DAC competition for a lot of years,” said Davis High art teacher Sunny Magee. “Halle came from my AP art class. I had her last year. I know how hard she works.”

It’s a great show, she said. “It’s really friendly for students and the DAC will hang it if it’s hangable. It’s a positive experience. I help them fill out the application for the show. It gives them the courage to do it on their own in the future.”

Magee said she doesn’t think art is a magic ability. “There are skills and processes to learn.”

“I love art because it’s a form of expression,” said Youngblood. “I love to see people’s reaction to my art. I think about that as I create my art – what will people think about it?” λ