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 2026 Scholastic Art competition. This is a highly competitive annual art competition that had 3360 art entries from around the region. MLWGS students had another great year with 104 total awards, recognizing Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School as one of the region’s top schools for the Arts.
Summary: 104 total awards. A new record-breaking year for MLWGS!
25 Gold Keys awards, including 2 Gold Key Portfolios
(2 Gold Key Art portfolios, 16 Art Gold Keys, 7 Photo Gold Keys)
39 Silver Keys awards, including 1 Silver Key Portfolio
(1 Silver Key Art portfolio, 32 Art Silver Keys, 6 Photo Silver Keys)
40 Honorable Mentions including 7 Honorable Mention Portfolios
(6 HM Art Portfolio, 1 HM Photo Portfolio, 22 Art HM, 11 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.
- Maddie Bridges– Gold Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 2 Silver Keys in Painting, and an Honorable Mention in Painting
- Ella Wiatt– Gold Key Art Portfolio with additional awards of 2 Gold Keys in Painting
- Shreeya Patel– Silver Key Art Portfolio
- Elijah Chen– Honorable Mention Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Silver Key and 1 HM in Printmaking
- Amelia Downey– Honorable Mention Art Portfolio
- Cypress Julien– Honorable Mention Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Silver Key in Drawing and 1 HM in Mixed Media
- Sophia Runberg– Honorable Mention Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Silver Key in Painting and 1 HM in Experimental Photography
- Caitlyn Smith– Honorable Mention Art Portfolio
- Sophia Trinh – Honorable Mention Photography Portfolio with an additional award of 1 Silver Key in Photography
- Caroline Walton – Honorable Mention Art Portfolio with additional awards of 1 Gold Key in Painting and 1 Silver Key in Painting
Gold and Silver Key Awards
Gold and Silver Key winners will have their work displayed at the Visual Art Center of Richmond from Feb. 7- Feb. 22, with an in-person reception on Feb. 21 at 2 pm 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:
- JR Catrow – Gold Key in Experimental Photography, HM in Mixed Media
- Becca Chamberlain – Gold Key in Photography
- Winni Chen – Gold Key in Drawing, Silver Key in Painting, HM in Painting
- Kyra Chukin – Gold Key in Ceramics & Glass
- Caitlyn Collins – Gold Key in Mixed Media
- Dotty Heyming – Gold Key in Experimental Photography, Silver Key in Photography
- Julian Hershman – Gold Key in Photography, 3 Silver Keys in Photography
- Abby Lesher – Gold Key in Experimental Photography
- Eman Meri – Gold Key in Drawing
- Stella McCormack – Gold Key in Painting
- Heidi Pierce – Gold Key in Mixed Media
- Eli Roerink – Gold Key in Experimental Photography
- Raelynn Shelton – Gold Key in Ceramics & Glass
- Miles Swenson – Gold Key in Illustration
- Emily Thomas – Gold Key in Drawing, HM in Drawing
- Lily Voorhees – Gold Key in Sculpture, Silver Key in Sculpture, HM in Mixed Media
- Mysha Zaidi – Gold Key in Painting, Silver Key in Painting
- Danielle Chen – Silver Key in Drawing, Silver Key in Painting
- Alexandra Edwards – Silver Key in Drawing, HM in Drawing
- Pol Ennis – Silver Key in Graphic Design
- Cole Garry – Silver Key in Drawing
- Reece Gilhooly – Silver Key in Graphic Design
- Orielle Hall – Silver Key in Ceramics & Glass, Silver Key in Mixed Media
- Emma Lindsey – Silver Key in Ceramics & Glass, HM in Ceramics & Glass
- Chloe Mannell – Silver Key in Mixed Media
- Advika Rana – Silver Key in Experimental Photography
- Emmett Sheridan – Silver Key in Painting, HM in Painting
- Missy Stephenson – Silver Key in Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage; Silver Key in Illustration
- Nate Stevens – Silver Key in Drawing, Silver Key in Fashion
- Yan Angela Yu – 3 Silver Keys in Photography
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:
- Abbos Yusupov – HM in Photography
- Ansley Plaisted – HM in Mixed Media
- Anushka Koirala – HM in Drawing
- Claiborne Perdue – HM in Photography
- Claire Hill – HM in Printmaking
- Daniel Gabdullin – HM in Painting
- Daniel Zhang – HM in Experimental Photography
- David Yeager – HM in Photography
- Grace Ku – 2 HM in Illustration
- Lillian Davies – HM in Sculpture
- Neha Jain – 2 HM in Photography
- Neil Leos – HM in Experimental Photography
- Palak Kundalia – HM in Photography
- Raegann Shell – HM in Drawing
- Sabina Gunlicks – HM in Photography
- Sophie Guo – HM in Printmaking
- Sunjana Finn – HM in Painting
- Vanessa Merck – HM in Experimental Photography, HM in Photography
Congratulations to these students on their well-deserved awards. Go Dragons!
Jeff Hall, Teacher and Visual Arts Department Chair
