Six students will be competing at the state level of the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) in April after competing last weekend at Timber Creek High School. Between all three campuses, a total of 88 medals were brought home from student artists.

Students present their work and are then interviewed. After students’ interviews, the art goes through a jury and is rated on a scale from I being the lowest and IV being superior. Medaling in the superior rating, senior Destinee Aguirre’s stipple drawing of an octopus landed her a spot in the state competition.

“I don’t want to set high expectations,” Aguirre said. “But I hope for the best and that I get an award. And if I don’t then I don’t but it would be a good experience for me.”

Senior Henry Edmondson has attended VASE for the past three years. This year, his portrait of his dog named Hank received a superior rating; he will also be attending the state competition in April.

“I think it’s a really important competition for young artists and for people that are trying to pursue art,” Edmondson said. “[They can] say ‘Hey, I can really do this.’ It’s just a good experience to have. I’ve enjoyed myself and I’ve always just done a great job in it.”

With freedom in their artwork, students become creative in their approaches.

“I drew the anatomical heart but I had two people in the middle kissing to show passion,” senior Mary Sanders said. “My boyfriend Ethan and I have been together over a year now and it’s just to represent how I feel about him.”

After students present their work, they receive the opportunity to view other entries.

“It was a lot of fun,” Sanders said. “It was a lot of waiting around but after waiting we got to see all the artworks; it was really nice.”