Parker School students shine in Youth Art Month competitions

Parker School student artists celebrated several wins for their works in advance of Youth Art Month (YAM), celebrated throughout the month of March every year. According to the National Art Education Association’s website, YAM is designed “to emphasize the value of art education for all children and to encourage support for quality school art programs” and is administered by the Council for Art Education and the National Art Education Association (NAEA), and state affiliates such as the Hawaii Art Education Association (HAEA).

Parker seventh-grader Nate Biondi earned third place in the YAM flag design competition. Juniors Mariko Langevin, Kanoe Schutte and Zhou Hongjin (Rin), and senior Erika Hannon all entered photographs which have been selected for display at the Hawaii State Capitol throughout the month of March. Langevin’s entry, a self-portrait, was selected by the judges as “best in show” in her age category. These four Parker students were in the top 100 selected for the exhibit, out of nearly 1,000 entries.

Parker School art teacher Heidi Buscher said, “Of those 100, 10 were selected as the top ten works to represent the state of Hawaii at the National Art Education Association conference in New York City next month. Our very own Mariko Langevin represents Parker School, the Big Island and the state of Hawaii as one of the top 10. Congratulations to all of our Parker artists!”

Langevin was also named a semifinalist in the Congressional Art Competition for her photograph titled “Waterboy,” as was classmate Brieannah Gouveiah for her photograph, “Man and Nature.” Langevin and Gouveiah were the only two selected from the Big Island out of the 13 from the state. The winner for this competition will be announced at a March awards reception at the State Capitol, and will have his/her work hang in Washington, D.C., for the year.

For more information, please visit www.parkerschool.net.