Friday, May 29, 2009

Great Gators!
Gattis students bring home art awards

LAURI ZACHRY
Education Reporter

Friday, May 29, 2009


In the school's first year to enter the competition, seven Gattis Elementary students were named winners in the traveling 39th International Children's Art Exhibition sponsored by Pentel.

Gattis art teacher Donna Staten in November sent in 24 art works for the international competition judged in Osaka, Japan.

Art exhibition officials received more than 200,000 entries from across the globe and gave recognition to about 200 U.S. students, Staten said.

"This represents the whole school and now you have proof that you are world-class artists," Staten said. "This contest has been called the 'Olympics of children's art.'"

Olivia Feher, a kindergarten student, received a gold medal for her piece "Jungle Dance." She drew jungle animals surrounding a dancing giraffe in pencil and then colored the animals with crayons. She received a gold certificate and an oil pastel set as her prize. There were only 22 gold medals awarded to U.S. students this year, Staten said.

Three Gattis students also received silver medals. Roberto Rios, Jade Trent and Nya Williams were among the 35 U.S. artists to receive the honor. Rios, a first-grade student, submitted "Me in My Room," a self-portrait of himself as an artist at an easel.

Trent, a fourth-grade student, created "Self Portrait Picasso Style," a colorful cubist piece created in oil pastel.

Williams, a fourth-grade student, created a watercolor arrangement entitled "Heaven." There were 108 bronze medals awarded to U.S. students, including Gattis fourth-grade student Loreana Rios. Her abstract creation "Reach Out and Touch Someone" featured overlapping hands brightly colored with marker.

"I'm excited about winning this award," Rios said. "I've been drawing since I was little. We learned how to draw hands so I just added my design to it."

Lexie Cooper and Michelle Silva were two of 81 U.S. students to receive Pentel awards. Cooper, a first-grade student, drew "Turtle Walk" and used ink, pencil and crayon. To create the artwork, Cooper drew several small turtles inside one large turtle.

Silva entered a painted collage of a "Friendly Scarecrow."

This was the first year for the school to enter the competition, Staten said.

"I am extremely proud to have seven winners," Staten said. "This is incredible for our first year of doing this. I'm so proud of all the students."

Staten is new to Round Rock ISD this year, having been in Temple ISD for 22 years. She started entering students in the international competition in 1993 and has had 92 winners.

This is also the first year Staten has taught a pair of siblings, Roberto and Loreana Rios, who both won international art exhibition awards.

The judging process is a four-month endeavor of pieces from countries all over the world.

The ICAE is a public service program of Pentel Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries around the world in cooperation with Biiku Bunka Kyokai (Foundation for Art Education) and the Nippon Television Cultural Society.