Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Oak Harbor High School was the site for the 57th annual Five-County Art Show on April 27, where a slew of local students showcased their skills.
“It's not only good for the school, but it's also good for our community because when we have different people from other communities coming in here, they see what Oak Harbor's all about,” Oak Harbor art teacher Elly Gilbert said. “They go to restaurants in town and help support downtown Oak Harbor as well.
“It's important for the students because it's a confidence booster. If someone's kind of timid or it helps them get out of their shell a little bit and feel more comfortable with who they are and what they can create, (it can) give them that confidence booster to push themselves further in life.”
Art teachers from Erie, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca and Wood County had students in the competition, which included participants from Oak Harbor, New Riegel, Lake, Danbury, Lakota, Hopewell-Loudon, Otsego, Woodmore, Genoa, Margaretta and Eastwood.
Gilbert, who helped put together and manage the event, said all the schools and the students compete on an even playing ground.
“It's a great show for students to feel very proud of the work that they have accomplished,” she said. “Everyone who participates is (from) a smaller school. It's an invitational art show so all of these schools only have one art teacher. It's not like the larger schools, who may have a specific ceramics teacher or a specific drawing teacher. We are jacks of all trades.”
The competition included students from middle school (sixth-eighth grades) and high school.
“Many times the same schools participate,” Gilbert said. “Sometimes new teachers are hired in different districts. They may take a year off, they might come back. We have had a little of that this year, but most of them are recurring ones.
“It's neat to see the differences with the teachers and their styles change, and man there are some good art teachers. They really, they truly are.”
Art professors from places like the University of Toledo were on hand, as well as David Wolff, who is a retired teacher from Edison High School. He helped create some of the categories 20-plus years ago.
“It's neat to have him back as a judge and see the other side of things because he would just drop artwork off, but now he's actually seeing the judging process,” Gilbert said. “Then I have my student helpers here. It's nice for them to see the judging process. They don't say anything, but they can hear all of the constructive criticism that's being done - the positive, the negative, the areas of improvement. So it's beneficial for them to hear that as well.”
For students like Kian Hammer, an eighth-grader at Hopewell-Loudon who had his work displayed for the first time in the competition, the experience is “pretty cool.”
Hammer took first place in the oil pastels (figurative) category with a piece of art he created a couple of months ago.
“It’s fun making it,” he said. “I took a picture of myself and drew myself first, then erased half of it and drew something that represented me, so I put football and the cheeseburger.”
Best of show awards at the high school level included: New Riegel sophomore Libby Bumb (2D first place and 2D runner-up); Otsego senior Josie Zeller (3D first place); and Otsego senior Lillian Griggs (3D runner-up).
The Port Clinton Artist Club also awarded Genoa junior Millie Wilcox (1st Place), Oak Harbor freshman Jeven Buehler (2nd Place) and Oak Harbor senior Lusine Torikyan (3rd Place) with recognition.
Wilcox also won the People’s Choice award.
Best of show awards at the middle school level included: Otsego eighth-grader Maya Burris (2D first place); Otsego eighth-grader Callie Hartman (2D runner-up); Woodmore eighth-grader Olivia Sentle (3D first place); and Genoa eighth-grader Isabella Sondergold (3D runner-up).
Genoa’s Rebecca Sheldon won the People’s Choice award.
“It’s great,” Gilbert said of the competition. “The students are very proud of their work. They love to have it shown off.”
