SHS Students Win State Fair Photography and Art Contests

Arianna Armiger, News Editor

April 26, 2024

Sophomore Olivia Ritter and junior Luke Ewers pose with their photos and awards from the Washington State Spring Fair Junior/Senior High Art Show. Ewers cheers after learning he had also won a $100 prize for placing first in the entire photography competition. Ritter took home $50 for placing second overall.

Junior Luke Ewer’s piece “Mind Games”, which depicts a black and white photo of a chess match earned him a $100 cash prize. Ewers states how placing first in the entire competition was such a proud moment for him. In CTE teacher Lindsay Webster’s photography classes, they participate in weekly One Day Challenges where the students have the class period to take the best photo they can, given a prompt or concept to follow. Ewers explains that while his photo did not win the student vote for the One Day Challenge, he really admired the photo he took for that challenge. When hearing about the opportunity to enter the competition he decided to submit that piece. Ewers expressed his family’s surprise and enthusiasm when he won both the Still Life category and the overall Best in Division, stating, “It was a nice moment to win.”

Students from Photography II & III, AP Art, Art Foundations 1 and Art Foundations 2 competed in the Washington State Spring Fair Jr/Sr High School Art Show. The categories of the competition SHS photography students participated in included Still Life, Landscape and Portrait photography. The winners from the competition include:

Still Life

1st: Junior Luke Ewers and senior Diego Arias

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2nd: Junior Mason Nickell and senior Moira Matthes

Landscape

1st: Sophomore Olivia Ritter and freshman Kennedy Halladay

2nd: Sophomore Mara Fanony

Portrait

1st: Senior Katie Stafford

2nd: Senior Jake Jenner and junior Joshua Ponticelli

3rd: Junior Isaac Beheler and junior Bri Freigo

AP Art had a great number of students win awards for the competition. The winners from the competition include:

Oil Painting

1st: Sophomore Lincoln Chaney

Honorable Mention: Senior Charlotte Hanley

Watercolor

1st: Senior Faith Grant

2nd: Senior Cathy Bird and junior Sophie Villanueva

Colored Pencil

1st: Junior Chloe Bowden

Graphite

1st: Sophomore Teagan Burrow

Oil Pastel

1st: Freshman Ian Tudela

2nd: Freshman Janalys Colon

Acrylic

2nd: Senior Erin Kim

3rd: Freshman Janalys Colon

Ceramics

1st: Sophomore Ina McCloud

2nd: Sophomore Jolie Ferrer

Chalk Pastels

1st: Sophomore Ina McCloud

Low-Relief Assemblage

1st: Senior Eve Laboca

Other-Painting Mixed Media

1st: Senior Sirus Singchalot-Butler

3D- mixed media

1st: Senior Graciela Rivera-Gonzales

Charcoal

Honorable Mention: Sophomore Cadence Reed

Relief Print

2nd: Senior Nora Agosto-Sungino

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About the Contributors

Arianna Armiger, News Editor

Hi guys, I’m Arianna! This is my first year as News Editor for the Sentinel Sound. Being on the paper’s editorial staff has been one of my favorite high school experiences.

Lindsay Webster, Adviser

Hi, I'm Lindsay Webster, The Sentinel Sound student newspaper adviser. I also advise the Steilacoom High School Yearbook and am the Photography teacher. I am in my 7th year of teaching high school. I received the ASNE Journalism Fellowship in 2006, received the JEA Rising Star Award in 2008 and the Fern Valentine Freedom of Expression Award in 2023. Before that I was a wedding photographer and flower farmer. I love chai tea and graphic tees.