Yosemite Valley, California - Yosemite National Park and The Ansel Adams Gallery sponsored a Gateway Expressions Student Art and Poetry Contest in September. Over 250 submissions were received, a record, from local community schools. Artwork was divided into categories and winning pieces were selected by park staff and park partners. Winning student artwork and poetry will be featured in an exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery from Thursday, November 5, through Saturday, November 7, 2015 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Additionally, students will be acknowledged at a special Awards Ceremony on Saturday, November 7, 2015, at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley, from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. If there is inclement weather the reception will be held in the Valley Auditorium behind the Valley Visitor Center.
The Gateway Expressions Student Art and Poetry Contest celebrates the creativity of youth in the Yosemite gateway communities. The contest is open to all students, grades K-12, who attend school or youth programs within the gateway community school districts of Yosemite National Park. This year the contest featured artwork from a record number of school districts including Bass Lake Joint Union, Big Oak Flat Groveland Unified, Bishop Unified, Chawanakee Unified, Eastern Sierra Unified, Mammoth Unified, Mariposa County Unified, Raymond-Knowles Union, and Yosemite Unified. Featured artwork was also submitted from schools in Tuolumne County and Sonora.
Students submitted a wide range of art and poetry including collages, paintings, and photography highlighting the iconic experiences and vistas of Yosemite National Park. The contest also featured a special category this year in honor of the National Park Service Centennial. Submissions to this category included art and poetry inspired by the creation of the National Park Service in 1916.
Contest winners include:
Kindergarten & 1st grade art: Joel Bevington - Wawona Elementary Charter School, Hayden Micheletti -Yosemite Valley Elementary School, Norah Hinson - Lee Vining Elementary School, Hannah Stark - Yosemite Valley Elementary School, Pearl Johnson - Yosemite Valley Elementary School
2nd & 3rd grade art: Hank Stark - Yosemite Valley Elementary School, Cameron Foster - Yosemite Valley Elementary School, Eva Walker - Sierra Foothills Charter School, Anderson Stansberry -Wawona Elementary Charter School , Anna Soldevila - Sierra Foothills Charter School
4th & 5th grade art: Cameron Richards - Mountain Home School, Kaki Saulque - Bishop Elementary School, Amelia Blakey - Bishop Elementary School, Celianna Lee - Sierra Foothills Charter School, Bianca Rios - Sierra Foothills Charter School, Amber LaMendola - Chinese Camp School, Madia Westerlund - El Portal Elementary School
6th-8th grade art: Kaitlyn Fisher - Oak Creek Intermediate School, , Autumn Stock - El Portal Elementary School, Emilee Codero - Sierra Foothills Charter School, Lauren Elmore - Mariposa Elementary School, Hannah Goodwin - Mammoth Middle School, Allison Seiling - Mountain Home School, Camille Fisher - Oak Creek Intermediate School
9th-12th grade art: Issac Rumohr - Yosemite High School, Mario Rios - Mammoth High School, Ben Sanguinetti - Yosemite High School, Haylee Telford - Mariposa High School, Katie Thompson - Yosemite High School, Mia Bullock - Yosemite High School, Air Tepox - Mammoth High School, Kestrel Holt - Lake Don Pedro High School, Claire McConald - Mammoth High School, Janessa House - Mariposa High School
4th & 5th grade poetry: Lusa Andrews - Wawona Elementary Charter School, Parker Stier - Oakhurst Elementary School, Elena Zavala - Oakhurst Elementary School, Jaci Morgan - Oakhurst Elementary School
6th-8th grade poetry: Sydney Jacobs - El Portal Elementary School, Adam Moua - El Portal Elementary School, Patience Nelson -El Portal Elementary School , Ava Dunlavey -El Portal Elementary School , Diana Rodriquez -El Portal Elementary School , Erinn Morehouse - Tenaya Elementary School, Beck Westerlund - El Portal Elementary School, Calliope Kerr - El Portal Elementary School
Photography: Peter McLean - Yosemite High School, Trinity Almasri - Rivergold Elementary School, Sophia Coleman - Mariposa Elementary School, Elainna Dulcich - Mariposa Elementary School
Anniversary Award: Sadie Henderson - Rivergold Elementary School, Kylie Cogley - Lake Don Pedro Elementary School, EvAlexn Baca - Lake Don Pedro Elementary School
Ansel Adams Award: Isaac Rumohr - Yosemite High School
Yosemite Winter Award: Abi Ortiz - Mariposa High School
Yosemite Award: Autumn Stock - El Portal Elementary School
The Gateway Expressions Student Art and Poetry Contest is made possible through the generous support of the Yosemite Conservancy.
