Rylee Dissinger Announced as an Overture Awards Finalist!

Congratulations to OHHS Art and Design senior Rylee Dissinger whose portfolio of works was one of the 4 Finalists selected from the 13 Semi-Finalists for the 2024 Visual Arts Competition of The Overture Awards. Rylee was nominated by Ms. Schorsch to submit a portfolio for this year’s competition. Rylee will compete against 3 other Finalists from schools around the region on March 16th at 1pm in the Jarson-Kaplan Theater at the Aronoff Center. Tickets for the event can be purchased here: Overture Awards Ceremony

The Overture Awards Competition is the area’s largest solo arts competition and offers awards in six artistic disciplines: creative writing, dance, instrumental music, theatre, visual art, and vocal music. For the 2022 competition, students may win $3,000 (one awarded in each discipline) or a $1000 finalist award. Judges at all levels of the competition are drawn from the professional arts community.

2024 Scholastic Art Awards Winners!

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country to bring the Scholastic Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) apply in 29 categories of art and writing. Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Award notifications are in! Congratulations to these very talented OHHS Art and Design students on their accomplishments this year in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

Art Portfolio: Honorable Mention
Rylee Dissinger

This highly competitive category is based upon submission of a series of 6 distinct works that communicate a single cohesive idea or visual investigation and accompanying artist statement. 

Gold Key Winners

Below are the works that earned Gold Keys, the highest level of achievement on the regional level. Approximately 7 – 10% of all regional submissions are recognized with Gold Key Awards and all are considered for national-level recognition.

Molly Audretch “Tapped Out” Gold Key
Milo Butts “Apple Teeth” Gold Key
Isabelle Dellecave “Shapes and Hands” Gold Key
Grace Gray “Hug Me” Gold Key
Grace Gray “Something Fishy is Going on Here” Gold Key
Aubrey Laib “Empty Vessels” Gold Key
Cora Mundstock “I’m Not Free Yet; Even Years Later” Gold Key
Katrina Nastold “Oceanic” Gold Key
Finley Nguyen “Promises” Gold Key
Jordan Tinsley “Childhood Treasures” Gold Key
Sophia Wehman “Overflow” Gold Key

Silver Key Winners

Approximately 10 – 15% of all regional submissions are recognized with Silver Key Awards.

Molly Audretch “Burning Bright” Silver Key
Molly Audretch “Effervesce” Silver Key
Bethany Bachman “Reflections” Silver Key
Milo Butts “Virus” Silver Key
Anna Caito “Bedhead” Silver Key
Scout Estes “Friday Nights” Silver Key
Austin Haarmeyer “Voids” Silver Key
Annika Kaufenberg “Sea Life” Silver Key
Finley Nguyen “Gunk” Silver Key
Finley Nguyen “Phlegm” Silver Key
Sophia Reid “Glaring” Silver Key
Ethan Ridder “Chromatic” Silver Key
Annie Riley “Growing Through It” Silver Key
Kaylyn Schirmer “Fall Ball” Silver Key
Leah Stolla “Anxious Thoughts” Silver Key



Honorable Mentions

Approximately 15 – 20% of all regional submissions receive Honorable Mention Awards.

Brayden Asman “The Swarming Shark” Honorable Mention
Emma Brunner “Sunrise” Honorable Mention
Abby Burst “Peace Mandala” Honorable Mention
Anna Caito “Don’t Eat Crayons” Honorable Mention
Miles Frisch “Picture the Pitchers” Honorable Mention
Aubree Fuson “Unpacking Mortality” Honorable Mention
Grace Gray “The Lonely Mushroom Man” Honorable Mention
Kalli Langdon “Pop of Play” Honorable Mention
Rain Magrum “In the Dark” Honorable Mention
Rain Magrum “Phases” Honorable Mention
Sophia McCarthy “Final Peace” Honorable Mention
Cora Mundstock “Candles and Chromebooks” Honorable Mention
Cora Mundstock “Changing Horizons”
Emily Ott “Social Media Rollercoaster” Honorable Mention
Brenna Schirmer “Guard Duty” Honorable Mention
Lizzie Schreibeis “Stark” Honorable Mention
Leah Stolla “The Wake Up” Honorable Mention
Jordan Tinsley “Fawn & Fern” Honorable Mention
Jamie Turner “Emperor of Realms” Honorable Mention
Seth Wahof “Tentacle Reef” Honorable Mention
Lydia Wilson “Bone Yard” Honorable Mention

The Herb Block FoundationEditorial Cartoon Award

Cora Mundstock “Land Invasion” Honorable Mention

Cora Mundstock “Land Invasion”

OHHS Art and Design Student Advances to the 2024 Overture Awards Semi-Finals!

Congratulations to OHHS Art and Design senior Rylee Dissinger, whose portfolio of works was 1 of the 13 Semi-Finalists selected from this year’s entries for the 2024 Visual Arts Competition of The Overture Awards.

Rylee, who was nominated by Ms. Schorsch, will compete against 12 other Semi-Finalists from schools around the region. Entries advancing to the finals will be announced on February 5th, 2024

The Overture Awards Competition is the area’s largest solo arts competition and offers awards in six artistic disciplines: creative writing, dance, instrumental music, theater, visual art, and vocal music. For the 2024 competition, students may win $4,000 (one awarded in each discipline) or a $1000 finalist award. Judges at all levels of the competition are drawn from the professional arts community.

2023-2024 OHHS PTA Reflections Submissions Selected for State Level Judging!

Congratulations to the following OHHS students whose work was selected to advance to the Ohio PTA State Level Judging for this year’s PTA Reflections competition addressing the prompt, “I am hopeful because…”

Visual Arts Entries
Molly Audretch
Evangeline Brown
Miles Frisch
Aubree Fuson
Kendalyn Kress
Aubrey Laib
Cora Mundstock
Ethan Ridder
Brenna Schirmer
Kaylyn Schirmer
Sophia Wehman
Ava Yerian

Photography Entries
Sophia Boone
Grace Cappel
Sophia McCarthy
Jillian Sibert

Literature Entry
Ava Wildenmann, “Coal Town”
Benson Moore

The 2023 Save Local Waters Rain Barrel Art Project

The Rain Barrel Art Project was created to promote the use of rain barrels throughout the Ohio River Valley area through a creative and educational medium. The Rain Barrel Art Project desires to educate people on environmental issues like stormwater runoff, watersheds, and water conservation.

Rain barrels continue to grow in popularity across the country. However, one of its biggest drawbacks is its dull appearance. Some people are less likely to use them given their negative aesthetic impact on residential and commercial landscaping, even though they conserve water and save money. The “Save Local Waters” initiative believes that producing beautiful artistic rain barrels that have unique painted details will make them more desirable and naturally increase interest to promote their use.

Ms. Kopf’s Painting and Public Art and Ms. Schorsch’s National Art Honor Society students will be creating 5 Rain Barrels for this year’s event! Congratulations to all of the students who were selected by their peers to submit pieces for the jurying.

Completed Rain Barrels will be displayed at the Cincinnati Zoo along with the Online Auction and Artist Reception. Stay tuned to dates!

Congratulations to Jordan Tinsley, Addison Wuebbling, Cedar Krodel, Alexis Predmore, and Edith Sax on the selection of their design by the “Save Local Waters” committee for this year’s event!