LIHU‘E — Winners from the Kaua‘i Museum Student Art Festival hailed from all parts of the island in the elementary division.
Weylon Ruiz, a fifth grade student at the Kekaha Elementary School, topped the 2D category of the K-5 division art competition under direction of art teacher Maxine Akita.
Liliana De Souza, a second grade student at Island School, was announced the second place winner in 2-Dimensional with Colton-Jamison Owen, a kindergartener at Kekaha School, getting third place honors.
Hayley-Jay Kaeo, a fourth grade student at Island School, captured top honors in the 3D category. Island School artists swept this division, Callista Yavinsky, a fourth grader, and Julia Barzilai, a second grader, taking the second and third place awards, respectively. Penny Nichols is the art instructor at Island School.
Destrey Shibuya, a fifth grade student from King Kaumuali‘i Elementary School, topped the photography division, being joined by Kamalei Berg, a fourth grader at King Kaumuali‘i, in second place.
Both students were instructed by Devi Berg, who is currently working on a piece of art using recycled materials, primarily bottle caps, on display behind the stage at the school while it waits to be completed.
Judges for the elementary division included Carol Ann Davis, Charles Davis, Betty Jean Nativio, Angela Headley, Cynthia Riedel and Ken Posney.
La‘amea Almeida, the Kaua‘i Museum education and docent coordinator, said there were 115 entries in the elementary division competition, which was on exhibit through most of February.
Competition in the intermediate, or grades 6 through 8, was limited to budding artists from Island School, who captured five of the nine available awards, and the Kapa‘a Middle School, whose students walked off with four of the nine awards.
A kiwi fashioned out of various materials greets Kaua‘i Museum patrons from atop a pedestal, the creation by Joel Beblin, an eighth grader at Island School, taking top honors in the 3D category.
Alexis Freeman, a seventh grade student at the Kapa‘a Middle School, was presented second place in the category with Hannah Ruddell, an eighth grader at Island School, getting third place honors.
Island School swept the 2D category, Sydney Agudon, a seventh grade student, getting first place followed by Joshua Spencer, an eighth grade student, and Ellianna Ramirez, a sixth grade student, getting second and third places, respectively.
Nichols, who led the elementary school students from Island School, also advised the intermediate division students.
Mia Ricciardi, a seventh grade student at Kapa‘a Middle School, topped the photography category for the intermediate division. She was followed by Zoe Kaneakua, a seventh grade student from Kapa‘a Middle School, and Maceo Cantu, a sixth grader from Kapa‘a Middle School, getting third place.
The Kapa‘a Middle School art advisors included Nicole Balbarino, Jula Sanderi, Leslie Frasier and Mr. Sanderi.
Ellen Wagner is the art teacher for students who entered from the Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School.
Almeida said there were 47 2D entries, 22 3D and eight photographs entered in the intermediate division.
Student artwork in the intermediate division, judged by a panel of judges including Charles Davis, Angela Headley, Cynthia Riedel, Francis DuBois and Aaron Feinberg, will be on exhibit through March 22.
It will be replaced by entries from the high school division, which is scheduled to be on exhibit from March 29 through April 19.
Call 245-6931 for more information.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@ thegardenisland.com.
