This year’s regional Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition was at Canyon Lake High School on Feb. 8. VASE is a statewide Texas art competition which seeks to recognize exemplary student achievement in visual arts. This year, a previous state winner will be competing once again for a Golden Seal award.
Senior Madeleine Patten competed at the state level twice in a row and won a Golden Seal her first year. This year, she is submitting an engineered wood and metal sculpture.
“Last year I made a welded metal phoenix,” Patten said. “I’m really hoping for a double Gold Seal this year.”
VASE can be important to many students not only because it can provide scholarships up to $600, but it also allows for students to improve their artistic skills by putting them to the test and getting feedback in a competitive setting.
“This is my first year doing VASE,” junior Kaylie Fitzgibbons said. “I’m looking into a career in business, specifically product management, and getting those scholarships can really help with college.”
Students enjoy the friendly competition of VASE whether it’s just for fun or they’re doing it to earn something out of it.
“I do it for the students to hopefully gain something out of it, whether it’s looking at other artwork, learning about their abilities and what they can improve on, or trying to make something bigger and better each year,” art teacher Mrs. Jones said.
