It’s a winning year for Mumford artists.
Four Mumford students were recognized with six Scholastic Art awards, and 10 students will have their artwork included in an exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts in May.
Mumford art teacher Rufino Lim and senior Nasir Wheeler went to the Detroit Film Theater at the DIA on Feb. 14 for the Scholastic Art Awards Ceremony for the Southeast Michigan and Thumb Region.
Wheeler won both Gold Key and Silver Key awards for his digital art compositions. Mumford winners who couldn’t attend the ceremony were all recognized for their photography: Irnae Stewart, gold key and silver key; Shannon Jackson, gold key; and Keith Hatchett, honorable mention.
“I am so very proud of these students' accomplishments since their works have bested works from students in – get this! – 160-plus area high schools,” Lim said.
Gold Key winners earned a $2,000 scholarship to use at the College for Creative Studies and automatic entry in the national Scholastic Art competition.
Wheeler’s gold key entry was a digital art drawing called, “Koi.”
“I’m in an Instagram group chat full of artists, and we were discussing a prompt. The prompt was Koi fish, and everyone did their own drawing that included Koi fish," Wheeler said.
Seniors Jaffion Crawley, Kevin Hatchett, and Irnae Stewart; juniors Avaunie Crosby, DeZairee Davis, Talia Gibson, Terrill Hicks, Amariana Jordan, and Jaden Robinson and freshman Tiniah Kelley all have works that will be displayed in the 86th DIA - DPSCD Annual Exhibition that will be open to the public from April 21 to May 26.
According to a story on the DPSCD website, “Many of the students whose works have been featured in past exhibitions have gone on to pursue successful careers in the arts.”
“It’s an opportunity to have their artwork displayed in a world class museum,” Lim said.
