Cove High artwork to be judged in state contest on Saturday
Special to the Leader-Press
No matter how old you are, learning to navigate the inner turmoil that life inevitably brings is no easy feat. But teenagers have extra challenges: hormonal changes, a brain that’s still developing, the intensity of social interactions with peers, academic demands, and their parents’ high expectations.
Copperas Cove High School Senior Amari Snead seems to have it all together. The All-American dancer who is captain of the Copperettes, also an athlete on the school track and field team, is also an artist who has revealed his own struggles in a painting that has earned him state recognition.
"I believe there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to creating art and that artists themselves are their worst critics that compound pressure internally,” Snead said. “But we must face the conflict and grow."
Wise beyond his years, Snead’s painting depicts four different faces pulling away from each other until there is nothing left but bare bone. His artwork is about the inner person that needs to escape and is torn between multiple directions.
“I was very frustrated with my concepts while deciding on what to finalize my piece,” Snead says. “This piece is a representation of the anguish I felt during that process. The work also portrays the idea that every person is being torn by family, world, social and personal conflict. I hope my artwork encourages each person to rise to the challenge of growing through these inner conflicts that occur.”
Snead competes with his artwork on Saturday in San Marcos at the Texas Art Education Association’s UIL Visual Arts Scholastic Event held annually to recognize exemplary high school student artwork. Students entering artwork in the VASE competition must show exceptional skills in utilizing art elements and principles. Students are judged based on their research, applications, techniques, critical judgements, and personal expressions of their art. Several Copperas Cove High School students, under the direction of CCHS art teachers Crissy Bachie, McKenna Caylor and Debbie Davis, competed at the regional VASE competition in February with several students receiving medals for their artwork.
Under the direction of Bachie, Snead has qualified for the state contest for the second consecutive year, once again competing for a Texas VASE gold medallion.
Bachie has been an art teacher at CCHS for three years and has students every single year with competitive entries in the VASE competition.
"Art isn't just technical. It's about expressing your emotions through a creative process,” Bachie said. “With all the trauma students go through, they need to have a positive way to express themselves."
Texas high school VASE entries number around 35,000 annually. A panel of jurors evaluates state entries based on a state rubric. Artworks receiving an Exemplary Rating are awarded a Texas VASE medallion and are also eligible to receive a State Gold Seal medallion if deemed worthy by the judging panel.