Lakewood High School is known for its dedicated, hardworking art department. Students and teachers work tirelessly to contribute to Lakewood’s defined and unique art community. They work not only for themselves but also to represent our community and meet the standards set for strong artistry.
Their hard work is paying off, with three students gaining recognition at the Governor’s Art Show. Lakewood seniors Oliver Clasen, Jameson Walker and Lauren Lamparyk were all selected to be exhibited at this state-sponsored art show.
“I think it’s so special because it’s just a great opportunity for students to get their art out there, and it’s a great recognition,” art teacher Sophia Stasiak said. “I mean, their artwork goes out to Columbus, you know, with a lot of the other prestigious schools and art programs in the state, so it’s just a really nice honor.”
This competition receives thousands of submissions from across the state, but only 275 artworks are selected for exhibition. All selected pieces will be exhibited at the James A. Rhodes State Office in downtown Columbus. The works will be on display from April 12 to May 15.
Students first go through regional judging. The top 20% from each region move on to state judging, where judges select the 275 pieces for exhibition.
“It is a juried show,” Stasiak said. “They’re really just looking at technique, how students can use the elements and principles of design, and just their creativity in general.”
The Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition is an opportunity for students to earn scholarships for their artwork as well as professional recognition. These students worked tirelessly all year to create their pieces, often managing multiple projects at once.
Two of the pieces, by Jameson Walker and Oliver Clasen, are acrylic paintings, while the third, by Lauren Lamparyk, is a sculpture.
“Acrylic paint dries very quickly, so there’s not a lot of time to manipulate it, or mix in colors on canvas,” said Walker. “It took a lot longer to mix and remix a bunch of colors.”
These students have shown dedication to the arts throughout high school, consistently improving their skills and challenging themselves.
“A couple of years ago, I had a lot of difficulty with just creating art in general, because I wasn’t experienced enough,” said Walker. “But now, because of my hard work and dedication I’ve put into my art, I feel I can really put my ideas on paper or canvas, and I just create beautiful things.”
A drawing by Clasen was also selected for the ODEW Cameo exhibition, an exhibition which was judged by the same judges as the Governors’ Exhibition. “I was surprised when I found out my piece made it to the states,” student artist Oliver Clasen said, “I had never made it past the regional rounds of the competition; it was a big shock for me.”
While the piece was not selected for the Governor’s Art Show, it was chosen for exhibition in an online gallery at oaae.net.
These three pieces reaching the state level represent a major accomplishment for Lakewood. As the most important art show of the year, it highlights that Lakewood is home to some of the state’s top young artists.
Having not just one, but three students achieve this feat is rare among schools. These students contributed dozens of hours towards these works, and their effort has paid off — not just in a way that’s representative of their individual feats, but representative of a community that is artistically strong.
“I just hope (the students) keep being creative.” Stasiak said, “A lot of these students submitting are seniors, and I think hopefully this just shows them, even in their free time, that they should keep being creative.”
