Eight Austin ISD high school students from across the district received the highest award, the Gold Seal, for their artwork at this year’s Visual Arts Scholastic State event held in April. 

The Texas Art Education Association sponsors the Visual Arts Scholastic State Event (VASE) each year at the end of the VASE season. 

Artists from 20 regions across the state compete in regional VASE events and the top ten percent of work from each region travels to San Marcos for the state event on the last weekend of April.  

These students brought home the highest possible rating at the state, a V (5), earning themselves Gold Seal honors. 

Statewide, only 150 total pieces are selected for Gold Seal and eight Austin ISD students represent four high schools.  

In all, 21 teachers representing ten campuses took 82 students and 95 pieces of art to the event. 

The 95 works of art were already recognized for their quality at the regional event and in addition to the eight Distinguished Gold Seals AISD brought home 56 Exemplary pieces with a rating of IV (4), 30 Superior entries with a rating of III (3), and one Excellent entry with a rating of II (2).

The Gold Seal winners are:
•    Elise Leakey, Anderson High School
•    Madeline Thibodeaux, Anderson High School
•    Anika Villavicencio, Ann Richards School For Young Women Leaders
•    Carter Cordes, McCallum High School
•    Valentina Paredes, Mc Callum High School
•    Leo Bowman, McCallum High School
•    Holden Ott, Mc Callum High School
•    Hazel Westervelt, S F Austin High School

The mission of the TAEA Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) is to recognize exemplary student achievement in the Visual Arts by providing art students and programs a standard of excellence in which to achieve.

For more information about VASE visit the website.

The students artwork: