PHS art students win awards

PHS junior Kaitlyn Furr depicts a teenager’s frustrations in this artwork. Her work won a Silver Key award. (Submitted photo)

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By MARISSA MATOZZO

“I am so proud of my students!” said Pomperaug High School’s (PHS) art teacher of 20 years, Florin Ion Firimita with a smile. Clara Ma and Kaitlyn Furr, two Pomperaug juniors, earned Silver Key Awards from the 2017 Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards Program for their digitally submitted artwork.

“Clara and Kaitlyn submitted fantastic artwork,” said Firimita. “They are both dedicated students in Advanced Placement Studio Art class here at Pomperaug,” he said. “Kaitlyn’s artwork was about breaking free, about taking chances, and the frustrations faced as a teenager,” he said.

This painting by PHS junior Clara Ma won a Silver Key Award. Ma said she thought the light reflecting off the piano would make a nice art piece. (Submitted photo)

Ma said of her winning painting, “The meaning of my piece represented my love for playing piano, as I have done so for almost a decade. I went to practice as usual one day and suddenly noticed that the light reflecting off the piano was really pretty and thought it would make a nice art piece.”

“Clara and Kaitlyn are very hardworking and talented,” Firimita said, “They are wonderful students, artists, and people,” he said.

Sponsored by the Connecticut Art Education Association Incorporated, the Connecticut Scholastic Art Awards is a nonprofit composed solely of volunteers and is affiliated with The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers. Each year, the program recognizes young artists from 7th through 12th grade for their artwork. The work is judged by professional artists and University of Hartford faculty, and the winning artwork is then included in an art exhibit representing Connecticut at the Hartford Art School.

Students who submit their artwork may win gold or silver key awards in 17 multimedia categories. Winners were notified by emails sent to their art teachers. Firimita said he was invited to submit his students’ artwork.