The MLWGS Visual Arts Department is thrilled to announce that our creative students were recently honored by having their work selected for awards in the regional 2025 Scholastic Art competition. This is a highly competitive annual art competition which had 2699 art entries from around the region. MLWGS students had another great year with 82 total awards, recognizing Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School as one of the region’s top schools for the Arts.
Summary: 82 total awards
23 Gold Keys awards including 4 Gold Key Portfolios
(3 Gold Key Art portfolios, 1 Gold Key Photo Portfolio, 13 Art Gold Keys, 6 Photo Gold Keys)
21 Silver Keys awards including 1 Silver Key Portfolio
(1 Silver Key Art portfolio, 14 Art Silver Keys, 6 Photo Silver Keys)
38 Honorable Mentions including 2 Honorable Mention Portfolios
(1 HM Art Portfolio, 1 HM Photo Portfolio, 27 Art HM, 9 Photo HM)
Portfolio Awards
A portfolio award is very difficult to achieve as it requires a comprehensive body of work expressing a unique artistic voice. Please join me in congratulating the following SENIORS who received special recognition for their portfolios.
- Mercedes Luna– Gold Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 2 Gold Keys in Mixed Media, and an American Visions Nominee (Best in Show)
- Skye Cummings– Gold Key Art Portfolio
- Molly Morrison– Gold Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Gold Key in Sculpture, 1 Silver Key in Sculpture, 1 HM in Sculpture
- Peize Wang– Gold Key Photography Portfolio with an additional award of 1 HM in Photography
- Matilda Franz– Silver Key Art Portfolio with an additional award of 1 Gold Key in Painting
- Sahmeah Jamison– Honorable Mention Photography Portfolio with an additional award of 1 Gold Key in Photography
- Samantha Schappert– Honorable Mention Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Silver Key in Painting and 1 HM in Mixed Media
Gold and Silver Key Awards
Gold and Silver Key winners will have their work displayed at the Visual Art Center of Richmond from Feb. 8- Feb. 23rd with a in-person reception on Feb. 22 at 2pm at Dogwood Middle School. All Gold Key works will advance to National Competition with winners to be exhibited in New York.
Congratulations to the following students who were recognized with individual Gold Keys and/or Silver Keys:
- Anusha Algappan- Gold Key in Photography
- Maddie Bridges – Gold Key in Painting, Silver Key in Painting, and HM in Painting
- Danielle Chen – Gold Key in Drawing and Illustration, 2 Silver Keys in Painting
- Elijah Chen – Gold Key in Painting
- Winnie Chen – Gold Key in Drawing & Illustration, Silver Key in Mixed Media
- Sunjana Finn- Gold Key in Painting, HM in Painting
- Neha Jain – Gold Key in Photography
- Vier Julien – Gold Key in Mixed Media
- Elena Loy – Gold Key in Painting, Gold Key in Mixed Media, 2 HM in Mixed Media
- Chaitly Marapareddy – Gold Key in Photography
- Mitchell Shelton – Gold Key in Photography, HM in Photography
- Sophia Trinh – Gold Key in Photography
- Hiya Agrawal – Silver Key in Drawing & Illustration, HM in Drawing & Illustration
- Hillary Arriaza Rodas – Silver Key in Printmaking
- Kyra Chukin – Silver Key in Drawing & Illustration
- Ruby Freyer – Silver Key in Painting
- Aashna Gupta – Silver Key in Photography
- Soumya Khadye – Silver Key in Photography
- Will Knutson – Silver Key in Photography
- Grace Ku – Silver Key in Digital Art
- Benny Lefkowitz – Silver Key in Photography
- Abby Lesher – Silver Key in Mixed Media
- Emma Lindsey – Silver Key in Ceramics and Glass
- Demari Mitchell – Silver Key in Drawing & Illustration
- Davis Voelzke – Silver Key in Photography
- Grace Zheng – Silver Key in Painting, HM in Painting
Honorable Mention awards
These students will have their work included in a slide show of Honorable Mention winners. Please join me in congratulating these students who were recognized with Honorable Mention awards for their work:
- Samuel Adalbert – HM in Photography
- Amelia Adcock – HM in Sculpture
- Om Ajith – HM in Comic Art
- Thaman Sai Arepalli – HM in Drawing & Illustration
- Ashley Booker – HM in Mixed Media
- Ziggy Booker – HM in Photography
- Lillian Davies – HM in Sculpture, – HM in Mixed Media
- Caelan DiCosmo – HM in Mixed Media
- Amelia Downey – HM in Sculpture
- Zoe Fang – HM in Painting
- Charlie Hill – HM in Painting
- Stig Larson – HM in Photography
- Cam Meacham – HM in Sculpture
- Rahmat Okegbenro – 2 HMs in Photography
- Nora Rentschler – HM in Photography
- Sophia Runberg – HM in Painting
- Caitlyn Smith – HM in Sculpture, HM in Mixed media
- Missy Stephenson – HM in Drawing and Illustration
- Miles Swenson – HM in Drawing and Illustration
- Lily Voorhees – HM in Sculpture
- Jasmine Wen – HM in Painting
- Yan Angela Yu – HM in Photography
Congratulations to these students on their well-deserved awards. Go Dragons!
