During the 2024 Scholastics Awards, three artists from Dawn Priest’s class at North Moore High School stood out with their ability to express perspectives through various techniques and art forms: Jonas Angeles, Rachel Brown, and Alyssa Williams.
Scholastics Awards is a state art competition that allows students to showcase their work and gain opportunities to continue their craft. Sandhills Sentinel spoke with Jonas Angeles, a senior at North Moore, who has a unique take on art through photography.
“I love photography because I can capture things I might only get to see once,” said Jonas. “I am lucky to be able to capture the beautiful scenery around me.”
Jonas not only competed in his first competition against thousands of students but walked away with the top honor of the Gold Key award for his image, “State Fair,” which allowed him to proceed to nationals.
“Mar-5-2020” created by Jonas Angeles. Photo provided by Jonas Angeles.
Jonas also shared a piece he felt could speak to many, winning an honorable mention titled “Mar-5-2020.” His inspiration for this piece was burning something his ex-girlfriend gave him after they broke up.
Some advice he shared is, “It may not be easy at first, but don’t give up and don’t be afraid of what others may think.”
Sandhills Sentinel also spoke with Rachel Brown, a sophomore. She won the Silver Key award, the second-highest award at Scholastics, with her mixed media piece titled “A Heart Full of Love.”
“A Heart Full of Love” created by Rachel Brown. Photo by Dawn Priest.
“Everyone’s heart is full of things they love, so I tried my best to preserve that,” said Rachel.
She used yarn, old film strips, old Monopoly pieces, leather, mint tin, puzzle pieces, and cardboard to complete her piece. She has enjoyed art most of her life and said her favorite art form is expressionism.
Her advice to people who want to pursue art is, “There is no such thing as good or bad art; there is just simply art.”
Competitions such as Scholastics allow students to challenge themselves. Alyssa Williams, a sophomore, is a prime example of challenging herself with only recycled materials.
“Art allows me to express myself without talking about my emotions,” said Alyssa. “You can express all of that in art.”
“Farm to Fashion” created by Alyssa Williams. Photo by Dawn Priest.
Alyssa earned an honorable mention with her art piece “Farm to Fashion,” which was inspired by her appreciation of farm life. She made these pieces from horse feed sacks, wine corks, bailing twine, and egg cartons.
A word of advice she gives to aspiring artists is, “Don’t stress over the little things or let yourself get in the way of achieving your goals.”
On Mar. 1, the opening of the Young Peoples Fine Arts Festival in Southern Pines featured the North Moore students winning pieces among other students from Moore County Schools. The exhibit will be open through Mar. 28 at the Campbell House. A perfect opportunity to celebrate Moore County’s young artists.
Feature photo: “State Fair” by Jonas Angeles/photo contributed by Jonas Angeles.
~Article by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Emily Purvis.
