SHS art students set a new school record with five state qualifiers in VASE (Visual Art Scholastic Event), beating the old record of three state qualifiers.

Seniors Jonah Rempel and Abby Navarro qualified in sculpture, while sophomore Anna Teichroeb and junior Kimberlee Peters qualified with drawings and senior Jennifer Knelsen qualified with a painting.

Out of 55 SHS students, 49 medals were brought home from the competition at Frenship High School on Feb. 13.

“Making it to state in this competition is extremely difficult,” art teacher Brice Autry said. “There were over 500 works of art entered in our region and less than 50 of those advanced to state. I am very proud of our students and their work especially considering that they were competing against some 5A and 6A schools.”

In order to make it to state the students had to finish the artwork before the competition, write about their work’s meaning and use of elements and principles, and participate in an interview about their work on the day of competition. If they received an overall score of four, then they got a medal and a chance to go to state. Once all the fours have been selected, the top 10 percent advanced to state.

This was Peters’s second time to make it through the process.

“I am excited,” Peters said. “I am looking forward to going with so many people. I am taking a pencil-colored drawing that is called ‘Love and War’. It is supposed to be how words influence people. One part shows how words influence us in a good way and the other shows how words influence us in a bad way.”

For Navarro, it was a successful last chance to make it to state.

“I really wanted to go to state because getting to go to state is cool,” Navarro said. “I am taking a sculpture of mixed media. In my piece there is black stuff coming out where people’s mouths are suppose to be, but there are no mouths. It represents all the things you’ve never said.”

Teichroeb advanced to state with a detailed drawing of her youngest brother in Russian clothing.

“I got the idea because my mom, my older sister and I were looking through old books and apparently most of my family is from Russia,” Teichroeb said. “I am excited to go to state. It will be good to go and see all the other pieces of art.”

Knelsen’s road to state started with a passion for deer.

“I would make anything into a deer if I could,” Knelsen said. “My piece is with a deer and a lady sitting at a table and there are some things that are upside down. It means that even if the world is upside down, you will always find someone or something that sees the world like you do.”

Rempel said he completed his art piece in one week.

“I made a teapot,” Rempel said. “I am excited to go to state. I am looking forward to seeing all the cool pieces there.”

The state qualifiers will compete in the University Interscholastic League VASE state contest on April 22-23 at James Madison High School in San Antonio.