Tag Archives: news

Spring 2026 “Celebrating Art” OHHS Art and Design Students to Be Published

Posted on by
Reply

“Celebrating Art” is devoted to the promotion and appreciation of student art. The intent of their student art contest is to motivate student artists. The top entries are published in an anthology that will record the creative works of today’s student artists.

Students recently submitted work and 78 OHHS Art and Design students were invited to be published in the Spring 2026 “Celebrating Art”!  Only the best art is selected to be included in the full-color hardbound art book, “Celebrating Art”. Additionally, final judging for the “Top Ten Artist” and “High Merit Artist” awards will be completed and announced soon. The following students should feel honored. This is not a contest where every entry is invited to be published and is a highly selective competition. Thousands of entries were not invited to be published. Being published represents a lot of talent, hard work, and dedication from students.

Congratulations to the following students:

From Ambs’ Ceramics 2 and Studio Art Foundations classes:
Addyson Dennis
Eva Etris-Schuler
Grace Marcus
Hannah Roellig
Josie Hollander
Lizz Price
Moriah Pree
Olivia Lucas
Ryleigh Brader
Sofia Segoviano
Sydney Abercrombie
Ultan Delaney
Audree Cartmell
Bianca Bacher
Eleanor Good
Kailee Miller
Logan Hart
Sam Dew
Sundai Harper
Avery Goettke
Evelyn Good
Leigha Aday

From Dignan-Cummins’ Ceramics 1, Honors Enamels, Mosaic, and Glass, Honors Fiber Arts, Sculpture, and AP Art 3D Design classes:
Amara Ferguson
Anastasia Brantley
Marina Sek
Logan Rehn
Abbey Burst
Ava Wilson
Charles Elam
Chloe Kelley
Kita Kohlbrandt
Lexi Holzbacher
Lilah June Morgan
Maeghan Zimmerly
Megan Schmidt
Nathan Niehaus
Sam Getz
Ahleya Velasco
Charlie Morehead
Eva Duke-ibanez
Evelyn Dann
JT Schmidt
Leo Ruthven
Maggie Heydorn
Morgan Sargent
Rachael Wunderlich
Sophia Flaig
Sumira Kessler

From Kopf’s Art Foundations, Digital Art Foundations, and Painting and Public Art classes:
Elijah Gifford
Liam Maloney
Sophia Gray
Chelsea Crider
Dylan Johnson
Jaylin Hill
Lily Ann Gunnarson
Alexandra See
Lillianna McGuire

From Schorsch’s Drawing and Printmaking, Studio Art Foundations, and AP Art and Design 2D Design and Drawing classes: 
Anna Schuler
Ava Kaiser
Carly Gibbs
Eli Wilson
Gaby Coronado Orozco
Julia Chapman
Liam Edenfield
Liliana Pisegna
Madaline Smith
Nathan Muhlen
Tym’Shay Akins
Cynthia Brown
Desmond Damon
Grace Abrams
Lennox Ludeman
Belle Kirby
Sarah Sieve
Evelyn Mendez-Coronado
Jocelyn Lawrence
Maria Arrivillaga Munoz
Maria Pitchford

OHHS Art and Design Teacher, Jamie Schorsch, Named OAEA Art Educator of the Year and Advocate of Honor Award Winner

Posted on by
Reply

Schorsch on her Fulbright international field experience in Varanasi, India.

Art educator Jamie Schorsch recently received remarkable recognition from the Ohio Art Education Association, earning both the Advocate of Honor Award and the Ohio Art Educator of the Year Award, two of the organization’s most distinguished honors.

The Advocate of Honor Award recognizes individuals who expand their impact beyond the classroom by taking on leadership roles in advocacy and community engagement for visual arts education. Recipients actively champion art education outside their daily teaching responsibilities by recruiting others to join advocacy efforts, speaking directly to policymakers on key issues, and contributing to initiatives at the state and/or national level.

The Ohio Art Educator of the Year Award is presented to an educator who exemplifies excellence in teaching, demonstrates a profound impact on students, and shows an ongoing commitment to the advancement of art education. The OAEA Art Educator of the Year Award is the organization’s highest honor, recognizing long-term dedication to both art education and OAEA. Recipients demonstrate a strong, consistent teaching philosophy, leadership in innovative curriculum and methodology, and active involvement in advancing the field through research, writing, and engagement with current issues. They also show leadership beyond the local level at the state or national stage.

For Schorsch, the recognition is both meaningful and humbling. Her journey into teaching was anything but conventional. She did not initially plan to become an art educator, but always sensed that her future would be rooted in the arts. Raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly to support her family, Schorsch attended Walnut Hills High School as a self-described average student before becoming the first in her family to pursue higher education.

Her time at the University of Cincinnati’s DAAP program proved both formative and challenging. Balancing the demands of coursework with employment, she ultimately stepped away during her junior year, uncertain if she would return to college at all. She returned to complete her Bachelors of Fine Arts, with no clear plan for the future. One year after graduation, Schorsch reentered academia through the Master of Arts in Art Education program at DAAP with a full scholarship. Despite facing significant anxiety around public speaking, she discovered that teaching was a natural fit.

More than two decades later, Schorsch has built a career defined by passion, resilience, and a deep belief in the transformative power of art. She views art not only as a discipline, but as a vital tool for expression, reflection, and meaning-making. Throughout her career, Schorsch has remained committed to empowering students to recognize the value of art in their own lives, to use it as a means of processing experiences, communicating ideas, and engaging with the world around them.

This dual recognition from the Ohio Art Education Association stands as a testament not only to her individual accomplishments, but also to the collective community of students, colleagues, and mentors who have shaped and supported her journey.

Schorsch will be recognized for the Advocacy of Honor and Ohio Art Educator of the Year award regionally, at the Fitton Center for Creative Arts, on September 4th and at the OAEA State Conference in Cincinnati on November 7th,2026. Recognition of the Ohio Art Educator of the Year award will take place at the National Art Education Association Conference in New York City in March 2027.

OHHS Art and Design Student Announced as a Winner of the Fifty-Sixth Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition

Posted on by
Reply

The Ohio Alliance for Arts Education just announced the winners for the fifty-sixth Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, which will be open for viewing on Sunday, April 12 through May 14, 2026, at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower in Columbus. This juried exhibition represents the creative expressions in the visual arts by outstanding, talented students from Ohio’s high schools. The exhibition is a cooperative effort between the Office of the Governor of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education, and the Ohio Arts Council, as well as many colleges, universities, and business sponsors.

The final selection of works of art, created by 9th through 12th grade students, was adjudicated by the following state jurors:

Jessica Boushie, Columbus College of Art and Design
Lisa Bare, Ceramic Artist, BareClay Studio
Keith Dull, Ashland University
Keith Spenser, Denison University
Melissa Vogley Woods, Denison University
Emily Weithorn, Mount St. Joseph University
Roscoe Wilson, Miami University
Jeff Yost, Cleveland Institute of Art

A total of 5,786 art entries were submitted by approximately 2,100 Ohio high school students. Selections from each of the fourteen regions were made by a panel of judges chosen by the regional directors. Amanda Schaeffer, State Director and coordinator of the exhibition states, “It is with great pride that we exhibit these students’ artworks at the Rhodes Tower. The exhibition is a testament to the high quality of visual arts education that exists in our state. It is vital that the community understands the value and importance of arts education, and the impact that it has on our young people. We hope that this exhibition fosters that understanding. We are fortunate that Ohio is a state in which the arts and arts education are supported by community and educational leaders, legislators, colleges and universities, civic organizations, and businesses. Without the support and encouragement from these groups, the achievements of these young artists might go unrecognized.”

Congratulations to OHHS Art and Design student, Lydia Wilson, who’s drawing “Goodnight Fugglers” was selected as one of the 275 works for this year’s State Exhibition!

In addition to the exhibition, there will be an awards ceremony on Sunday, April 12th at 12:00 PM in the Davidson Theatre in the Verne Riffe Center for Government and the Arts. Students and families are invited to attend this ceremony.

Details:
Exhibition Viewing
Rhodes State Office Tower
30 E. Broad St., Columbus Ohio 43215
Open daily during business hours
Beginning April 13, 2026

Awards Ceremony:
Sunday, April 12, 12:00 – 1:00 PM
Davidson Theatre, Verne Riffe Center for Government and the Arts
77 S. High Street, Columbus, OH 43215

OHHS Art and Design Student Advancing to the State Level of Judging for the 2026 Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition!

Posted on by
Reply

This past weekend, the regional level of judging for The Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition, took place. The Exhibition, now in its 56th year, is dedicated to the educational and artistic advancement of our talented young people in the state of Ohio. The exhibition is open to all of Ohio’s 1,112 high schools, both public and private, chartered by the State of Ohio Department of Education. The exhibition is a valuable incentive for our young people; it encourages an appreciation for the arts throughout Ohio and reflects the fine quality of art instruction and talent which exist in our state.

The process of selecting artworks for the state exhibition begins on a regional level. The state is divided into 15 regional locations, with high school students in each region invited to enter work in that regional judging. Each region has a designated Regional Director, who is responsible for choosing the judges for his or her region and arranging specifics of the event. The judging takes place first regionally, and then at the state level, with judges for the competition chosen from all over the country and are generally professional artists, college level instructors, or both.

This year our region # 14, Southwest Ohio, had almost 600 entries and 114 works were selected to move on to the second and final round of judging at the statewide level. Three different judges rated the work on a 0.5 – 10 scale and their scores were averaged together to select the top 20% of works. The Statewide judging will take place next Saturday, March 14th.

Congratulations to Lydia Wilson who had two pieces selected to advance to the state level of judging, and best of luck to her in the next round this upcoming weekend!

Fall 2025, and Final, “Celebrating Art” OHHS Art and Design Students to Be Published

Posted on by
Reply

For the past 15 years, “Celebrating Art” has showcased the work of students across America in their quarter contests. Unfortunately, this is the last publication and contest that will take place. “Celebrating Art” has been devoted to the promotion and appreciation of student art. The intent of their student art contest is to motivate student artists. The top entries are published in an anthology that will record the creative works of today’s student artists.

Students recently submitted work and a record number of 100 OHHS Art and Design students were invited to be published in the final Fall 2025 “Celebrating Art”! Only the best art is selected to be included in the full-color hardbound art book, “Celebrating Art”. Additionally, final judging for the “Top Ten Artist” and “High Merit Artist” awards will be completed and announced soon. The following students should feel honored. This is not a contest where every entry is invited to be published and is a highly selective competition. Thousands of entries were not invited to be published. Being published represents a lot of talent, hard work, and dedication from students.

Congratulations to the following students:

From Ambs’ Ceramics 1, Ceramics 2, Fashion Studio 1, and Studio Art Foundations classes:
McKenzie Balford
Ryleigh Brader
Ryan Cooper
Tony Cooper
Caleb Curtis
Sophia Dawson
Maria Dektas
Ultan Delaney
Addison Dennis
Gentry Elsener
Eva Etris-Schuler
Ava Flickinger
Lila Gormley
Josie Hollander
Taylor Jackson
Carson Johnson
Ava Leahy
Chloe Linnig
Gabe Lowe
Olivia Lucas
Grace Marcus
Kaya Middleton
Lilah Morgan
Sonia Motino
Kiah Plants
Moriah Pree
Hannah Roellig
Khloe Roland
Brayson Sandman
Elise Sargent
Megan Schmidt
Aaliyah Schunk

From Dignan-Cummins’ Ceramics 1, Honors Enamels, Mosaic, and Glass, Honors Fiber Arts, Sculpture, and AP Art 3D Design classes:
Josie Audretch
Katie Auer
Mylla Davis
Sophia Flaig
Eleanor Good
Evelyn Good
Lily Gunnarson
Maddie Haley
Sophia Latisa
Jocelyn Lawrence
Brynn Schreck
Nelly Wimp
Kyla Witt
Tamara Alkhaldi
Skyla Blevins
Eva Duke-Ibanez
Ruby Dunham
Niamh Fitzpatrick
Nathan Niehause
Kily Sinex
Rachel Wunderlich
Sam Getz
Ichika Nakagawa
Kia Helmers
Maggie Heydorn
Lexi Holzbacher
Charlie Morehead
Morgan Sargent
JT Schmidt
Ahleya Velasco
Brailee Schulz
Lin Whyle

From Kopf’s Painting and Public Art class:
Josie Auciello
Lily Gunnarson
Lilly McGuire

From Schorsch’s Drawing and Printmaking, Art Foundations, and Studio Art AP 2D Design and Drawing classes:
Tym’Shay Akins
Maria Arrivillaga Munoz
Anastasia Brantley
Cynthia Brown
Hope Casey
Desmond Damon
Julia Chapman
Gaby Coronado Orozco
Evelyn Dann
Liam Edenfield
Valeria Espinoza Barrios
Miles Frisch
Aaliyah Gracey
Aubree Harden
Ava Kaiser
Belle Kirby
Connor Korte
Colton Krummen
Sydney Lehman
Alejandra Lui
Lennox Ludeman
Baylee Moorman
Nathan Muhlen
Liliana Pisegna
Anna Schuler
Sarah Sieve
Madeline Smith
Michael Smith
Lillian Thomas
Christian Vanlandingham
Eli Wilson
Lydia Wilson
Kyndall Woodie


As an added bonus, the OHHS Art and Design Department was highlighted as one of the top ranking schools overall for the numbers of students accepted to be published through the national program!