Vilonia Junior High School students reap benefits from artwork

VILONIA Eighth- and ninth-grade students at Vilonia Junior High School are already reaping financial benefits from their classes.

The school was the source of all three winners of the Art for Education cover contest for the 2008-09 Conway/Faulkner County telephone directory sponsored by Downey Publishing.

Grand-prize winner Baylee Daves was awarded a $1,500 savings bond. Runners-up, Samantha Chism and Destinii Sturtz, both were awarded a $500 savings bond. Also, the school received a $1,000 for the art department.

Art teacher Gary Hogan said he wasn't surprised at the win. Although he encouraged every student to participate, he said, he ended up sending only 12 entries from the school. All three, he said, showed the "wow" factor.

"I really thought any one of them could have won," he said.

This is the first year the school has participated in this particular contest which is open to all schools K-12 in Faulkner County, but he anticipates it won't be the last. He will encourage students to step to the easel again next year.

Hogan said he tries to get his students involved in as many contests as possible. Out of the 36 weeks of school, the 135 eighth- and ninth-grade students this year have completed 31 projects which have included everything from tye dye to face mask painting. "We touch on a little bit of everything," he said.

In addition to wins from contests, art has proven to be very profitable to several of his students while they are still in school.

Last year, one student who Hogan said was a "natural," made several hundred dollars selling portraits throughout the year. One myth he said he would like to see squashed has to do with the perception that all artist are "naturals."

"Some believe that you either have it or you don't," Hogan said. "That is not the case. You can be trained."

He said he is looking forward to more years of teaching, more contests and many more wins.

"We have a lot of art talent," he said.