2025 High School Self-Portrait Show Award Winners
2025 High School Self-Portrait Show
Chalk It Up held the 24th Annual High School Self-Portrait Show in March 2025. 28 high school art teachers from 18 area high schools assigned each of their students a self-portrait assignment, resulting in a diverse array of 110 student entries. The mediums used were as varied as the students’ talents, including ceramics, oils, acrylics, colored pencils, pen and ink, digital art, photography, mixed media, found objects, and more.
A jury of local artists, teachers, and the Chalk It Up board surveyed each entry and scored them in the following categories:
- Creativity and Originality
- Quality of Composition and Design
- Artist’s Statement
- X Factor – overall impression
At the 2nd Saturday Artists’ Reception, awards were given to the highest-scoring works. Each award-winning student received a certificate, a medal, and a cash prize. In addition, the winning students’ teachers received a grant from Chalk It Up to purchase art supplies for their classrooms. This support, totaling $6,200.00, was distributed to the students and their teachers/schools, ensuring a bright future for the next generation of artists!
Thank you to the Verge Center for the Arts for partnering with Chalk It Up on this event. They were generous enough to give us use of their Classroom Gallery for March. Visitors to Verge were able to see the show all month, sharing in our joy and hope for the next generation. We are thankful for their partnership!
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the teachers for all their hard work. We also extend our deepest gratitude to all our sponsors, volunteers, and donors, especially our BIG DAY OF GIVING DONORS, for their invaluable support in making this show a reality. Your contributions have been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of artists.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS
AWARD WINNERS
Best in Medium
- Oil Pastel & Photography: Marsyville Charter Academy, Teacher Glen Weisgerber
“Star Child” by Student Cyan Cruz - Ceramics: Florin High School, Teacher Magen Coopee-Lucas
“Depths of Self” by Student Jamil Mazhar - Graphite: Sheldon High School, Teacher Theresa Nguyen
“Fragmented Harmony” by Student Caitlin Gaerlan - Colored Pencil: Bella Vista High School, Teacher Andrea Garman
“Dare to Dream” by Student Rebekah Fertel - Acrylic on Fabric: Davis Senior High School, Teacher Kyle Monhollen
“The Kumari’s Harsh Reality of Divinity” by Student Sneha Budhathoki - Mixed Media: St. Francis High School, Teacher Rick Siggins
“The Tapeworm Inside of Me” by Student Hannah Wysoczynska
3rd Place
CK McClatchy High School, Teacher Mollie Morrison
“Surface Tension” (Plaster and Acrylic) by Student Violet Fodor
2nd Place
John F. Kennedy High School, Teacher CJ Jones
“Consumption of Emotions” (Ceramic) by Student Sadie Yang
1st Place
Marsyville Charter Academy for the Arts teacher Glen Weisberger
“Show the Brighter Side” (Watercolor, colored pencil, gel transparency) by Student Jorge Ojeda
Best in Show
Davis Senior High School, Teacher Kyle Monhollen
“Photograph 1” (Acrylic on Canvas) by Student Sofia Stoddard
About the High School Self-Portrait Show
While athletes have games, actors put on shows, and musicians have concerts, we’ve discovered that visual artists need more opportunities to showcase their work in a professional gallery setting. The High School Self-Portrait Show is a unique platform that allows high school artists to proudly display their art to their peers and the community and compete for prizes.
High School Art Teachers from the greater Sacramento region assign their students a Self-Portrait project in any medium and then recommend two or three students from their class to submit for the show. The show, a community event, is displayed in a gallery for all to appreciate, and a panel of local artists, art educators, and the Chalk It Up executive board selects the award winners. Self-portraits are essential for the development of high school artists because they offer a unique opportunity for self-reflection and the exploration of artistic expression.
Chalk It Up hosts a 2nd Saturday Reception and Awards Ceremony, a joyous occasion for students, teachers, families, and the community to celebrate the next generation of artists and the arts education community. Chalk It Up provides awards for Best in Show, Best in Medium, etc., inspiring hope for the future of the arts.
This show is possible because of the partnership of our local high school art teachers and the arts education community. They are helping to empower and support the next generation of artists.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to James Ferry (1933 – 2020) for initiating this tradition. Special appreciation to Findlay McIntosh of Christian Brothers High School, and Verge Center for the Arts for their collaboration with Chalk It Up, ensuring the continuity of this annual tradition. A BIG ‘Thank You’ to the Big Day of Giving Donors for their generous support, making this program possible!