Eastern Oregon Regional High School Art Exhibition Honors Talent and Educators

Eastern Oregon Regional High School Art Exhibition Honors Talent and Educators

La GRANDE, Ore. –The Eastern Oregon Regional High School Art Exhibition featuring 200 works by students from 14 regional high schools opened Friday, Feb. 23. 

Nathan Lowe, Dean of EOU’s College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences gave a brief welcome to visitors, and Nightingale Gallery Director Cory Peeke presented awards. The EOU Art Department and Nightingale Gallery would like to congratulate the following award winners from this year’s exhibition and recognize the hardworking educators who make it all possible.  

Awards were presented for exemplary work by students in grades 9-12. All Best of Show winners received an award certificate, a $50 Dick Blick Art Supply gift card, and a sketchbook from the EOU Art Department as well as an EOU t-shirt, and other EOU swag compliments from the Office of Admissions. Honorable Mention recipients received a certificate of award.

Best of Show 12^th Grade:

Alsea Morton (La Grande High School) for their watercolor painting “Dawn Chorus” 

Best of Show 11^th Grade:    

Emily Martinez (Burns High School) for their painting “Resign” and their drawing “Welcome & Goodbye”

Best of Show 10^th Grade:    

Kegan Bott (Baker High School) for their painting “Old One”

Best of Show 9th Grade:

Brittain Combs (Powder Valley High) for their painting “Darth Vader”

Honorable Mentions included:

Baker City High School: 

Rebecca Craigmile, 11^th grade, for their ceramic sculpture “Morel” 

Gracie Spike, 10^th grade, for their ceramic sculpture “Queen Bee” 

Dasha Varianska, 12^th grade, for their ceramic sculpture “Atlantis Dancer” 

Meadoh Wardrop, 12^th grade, for their painting “Still Life with Plant” 

Elgin High School: 

Zach Bergman, 10^th grade, for their ceramic sculpture “Jackson”

Amber George, 11^th grade, for their ceramic sculpture “Home”

La Grande High School: 

Grayson Helmer, 11^th grade, for their painting “Malignant Daydreams of Entropic Nature”

Pendleton High School: 

Paige Erickson, 12^th grade, for their photograph “Mop”

Powder Valley High School: 

Bella Brandt, 10^th grade, for their photograph “Suspended” 

Jaydyn Dyke, 11^th grade, for their painted sculpture “Folk Art Bowl”

For the 16th year, the La Grande Arts Commission presented two awards to students from La Grande High. Their “Best of Show-La Grande High Award” went to Grayson Helmer for their painting “Misanthroapologist.” Their “Judges Choice Award” went to Griffin Gorham for their sculpture “Metal Tentacle Frame.” The LGAC award winners were selected and presented by La Grande Arts Commissioner Taylor Scroggins. Their Best of Show Award comes with a gift basket worth $200 and the Judges Choice Award comes with a gift basket worth $100.

Four regional art centers joined the La Grande Arts Commission in presenting special awards. Art Center East presented an “Excellence in the Arts-Union County” award to Hadlee Wallace, a 10th-grade student from Union High School for their ceramic sculpture “Heart,” and an “Excellence in the Arts-Harney County” award to Emily Martinez, an 11th-grade student, from Burns High School for their painting “Resign.” Each award comes with an ACE miniature collage kit. 

Baker County’s Crossroads Carnegie Art Center awarded a $50 award. Their “Outstanding Baker High School Student Award” went to 10th-grade student Meren Jesenko for their ceramic sculpture “No Ties.” Pendleton Center for the Arts presented a $100 “PCA Promise Award.” to Pendleton High School 11th-grade student Atlas Garcia for their mixed media drawing “Body.” And the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture presented the “Wallowa County High School Art Merit Award” in the form of a $50 Dick Blick gift card to Abigail Dundas of Joseph for their drawing “16,543,185.”

Art Center East’s award was selected by Jennifer Durr, ACE Gallery Director, and presented by ACE Board President Mary Horn. Crossroads Carnegie Art Center’s award winner was selected by the EOU Art faculty and presented by Cory Peeke on behalf of Crossroads Executive Director Ginger Savage. The Pendleton Center for the Arts award was selected by PCA Executive Director Roberta Lavadour and The Josephy Center award was also selected by EOU Art faculty and both were presented by Cory Peeke.

Check out the winning artists’ works on the Nightingale’s Instagram account.

“On behalf of the EOU Art Department and the Nightingale Gallery I would like to congratulate the winners and all the students with work on view,” Nightingale Gallery Director Cory Peeke said. “I would also like to congratulate the art teachers who go above and beyond to make this event the success it is each year.” The following is a list of those area teachers.

Baker City High School – Holly Coleman

Burns High School – Emily Kokesh

Cove High School – Eric Gustavson

Echo High School – Rick Thew

Elgin High School – BethWasley

Enterprise High Schools – Dianne Pfel
Joseph Charter School – Jennifer Hawkins
La Grande High School – Rich McIlmoil

McLoughlin High School (Milton-Freewater) – Marianne Smith

Monument High School – Erica Cade 

Pendleton High School – Abby Prevot

Powder Valley High School – Jessie Street
Union High School – Jaime Gustavson

Grant Union High School -JJ Collier

The 2024 Eastern Oregon Regional High School Exhibition runs through March 15. The Nightingale Gallery is located in Loso Hall on the campus of Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, OR.  Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m.