Students compete in 58th annual Five County Art Show

The 58th annual Five County Art Show was hosted at Oak Harbor High School on April 18-19.

Since its inception in 1968, the Five County Art Show features the work of sixth through 12th grade students from various schools within Erie, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, and Wood counties. This year, students from Oak Harbor, New Riegel, Lake, Danbury, Lakota, Hopewell-Loudon, Otsego, Woodmore, Genoa, Margaretta, and Eastwood participated, which led to approximately 400 pieces of art being showcased.

Elly Gilbert, who is an art teacher at Oak Harbor, is in her 13th year hosting the event at the school.

“The talent every year, the originality of these students is amazing,” she said. “The support of their art teachers is wonderful. We have (schools like) Margaretta and New Riegel. These are not local schools. They travel quite a way. It's nice that their art teachers are willing to support them and deliver their artwork all the way out here.”

The students initially submit artwork to their respective art teachers, who then in turn decide which pieces to showcase at the Five County Art Show. Each school is allowed to submit up to 50 works of art. They are then judged and awards are given out to each category, and best of show is selected in 2D and 3D condensed categories.

This year, Gilbert secured judges from the University of Toledo and the Toledo Museum of Art for the event, which is one of the two longest-running art shows in the Toledo area along with the Focus Show.

For Gilbert and her fellow art teachers, the event provides value for the students in many ways.

“It's important to help motivate students, to encourage them to get a piece submitted into a show like this,” she said. “It's also important because it helps with self-esteem. You can be proud that your artwork went on display in the 58th Annual Five County Invitational Art Show. That's quite an accomplishment. And not only that, but it was judged by professionals in art.

“It's also important just to let our communities know that we have talent, that our students have talent, and that visual arts is not something being put off in the back burner anymore. It's still alive and well.”

The work of these students also provides real world value.

“In some of these categories, yes, they're aesthetically pleasing and students had to work on problem-solving skills to create things, but in some of these categories, it's work that can carry on into the real world as well,” Gilbert said. “We have architectural design as a category and interior design work. This is all art-based things that you can learn all the way from kindergarten that you can carry on through your real world career one day. It’s very important to have events like this.”

The types of art displayed have evolved throughout the years. Gilbert said that someone created a ceramic cast of a chest this year. Also, another student did repoussé, which is where you press on both sides of metal to make some areas raise and some lower down.

“Our paper collage category has never been this large before, so that was neat to see,” Gilbert said. “Our graphite figurative is typically our largest category. It's kind of interesting, our 2D mixed media category is normally one of our largest, and it has shrunk a little bit as well.”

Gilbert said kids and teachers are really exploring other media.

“A lot of these teachers I'm noticing through the artwork, just like students, like to grow and learn as well and try new things, so through our art projects, we are continuously learning and teaching our students new things that we are learning,” she said. “That's really interesting with this art show. You can see the growth of teachers, too, through their students' artwork.”

Wistinghausen Florist and Greenhouse, local to Oak Harbor, let Gilbert borrow ferns to display at the show free of charge. The Benton-Carroll-Salem School District purchased easels, and Oak Harbor’s AG department built the big displays for the event, which Gilbert said provided for a collaborative effort in producing the show.

“I'm very thankful that (Wistinghausen) did that,” Gilbert said. “It dressed up the show a little bit more, made it more welcoming. I'm also very thankful that our own district has supported the growth of this show, to make it look as aesthetically pleasing as we can.”

Teachers like Gilbert and her counterparts at local schools also help show students how to cut mats, which helps the artwork look professional for the future.

“If they ever choose to pursue an art career, they know how to do this,” she said. “Presentation means a lot. It's important to present your artwork in a very nice manner. (It also) betters your chances of winning a ribbon.”

In terms of ribbons and awards, Genoa High School’s Lizzie Buffington won the runner-up award in 3D Best of Show, while Oak Harbor High School’s Lily Wilson won the People’s Choice award in Best of Show. Meanwhile, Woodmore Middle School’s Anna Gerwin took home Best of Show in 3D, and Sophia Matthews of Oak Harbor Middle School was the runner-up in that same category. Genoa’s Payton Hill won the People’s Choice award at the middle school level, as well.

“The parents' support is wonderful,” Gilbert said. “I love seeing the families come through this show. It's wonderful to see how proud they are of their own child and the amazing work they have accomplished. It puts a smile on my face every time I see a parent have their kid stand by a work of art and snap their picture because they're so proud of them that they have accomplished this, being in this art show.”

Gilbert said that she is in talks with her school’s music department about hosting a jazz festival in conjunction with next year’s event, and it would also include jazz bands from other area schools. It would be on the first day of the event.

The Five County Art Show is meant to provide a platform for smaller schools with one art teacher to compete on an even playing field. It is hosted at Oak Harbor because it is centrally located. Earlier iterations of the event were hosted on a rotating basis at various schools.

For schools like Oak Harbor, Gilbert hopes the event further helps grow the art programs. When her district’s schools consolidated several years ago and the middle school art teacher retired, they didn’t replace the position and didn’t offer art at that level.

That’s beginning to change, though. In addition to previously teaching high school students, Gilbert has added seventh grade art this year in addition to her yearbook duties, and she hopes it continues to expand into eighth in the future.

Below is a list of students from Press-area schools to either win a ribbon for first, second, or third place in their respective categories or best of show recognition. Awards were split between high school and middle school, and some students had multiple pieces within the same category.

HIGH SCHOOL

Best of Show: 2D – Libby Bumb, New Riegel

Runner-Up: 2D – Libby Bumb, New Riegel

Best of Show: 3D – Keegan Mentrek, Otsego

Runner-Up 3D – Lizzie Buffington, Genoa

People’s Choice – Lily Wilson, Oak Harbor

Category Awards

Press-area schools only

Painting: Acrylic (objective)

2nd – Millie Wilcox, Genoa

3rd – Brooklyn Garcia, Oak Harbor

Ceramics: Tile Design/Relief

2nd – Lily Wilson, Oak Harbor

Ceramics: Wheel Thrown

1st – Gage Sandwisch, Oak Harbor

2nd – Brayden Ager, Oak Harbor

Metal/Adornment: 2-D

1st – Lily Wilson, Oak Harbor

Painting: Acrylic (figurative)

1st – Haley Biddix, Lake

2nd – Haley Biddix, Lake

3rd – Sophia Sanchez, Lake

Mixed Media: 3-D

1st – Brooklyn Garcia, Oak Harbor

Crafts: Glass

1st – Annabelle Espinosa, Lake

2nd – Annabelle Espinosa, Lake

3rd – Haley Biddix, Lake

Drawing: Chalk & Dry Pastel (figurative)

1st – Lily Wilson, Oak Harbor

2nd – Brooklyn Garcia, Oak Harbor

3rd – Lillian Cedoz, Eastwood

Drawing: Ink (multi-colored)

2nd – Hannah Bertok, Genoa

Drawing: Oil Pastels (objective)

1st: Olivia DeTray, Oak Harbor

2nd: Nick Joseph, Oak Harbor

Ceramics: Mixed Media (containing ceramic material)

2nd: Scarlett Augsburger

Painting: Watercolor (figurative)

2nd – Madison Hand, Oak Harbor

Sculpture: Additions

1st – Lizzie Bluffington, Genoa

Painting: Oils (objective)

2nd – Millie Wilcox, Genoa

3rd – Madison Hand, Oak Harbor

Drawing: Scratch Board

3rd – Zack Tenney, Oak Harbor

Photography: Digital (Figurative)

1st – Logan Migliori, Woodmore

2nd – Jada Ollom, Woodmore

3rd – Jada Ollom, Woodmore

Drawing: Pencil (single colored) (objective)

1st – Mason Faunce, Woodmore

Crafts: Paper Collage

2nd – Braylon Sanchez, Eastwood

3rd – Scarlett Augsburger, Oak Harbor

Drawing: Ink (single-colored)

3rd – Aubrina Morales, Lake

Photography: Digital (objective)

1st – Alexis McCormick, Woodmore

2nd – Logan Migliori, Woodmore

Drawing: Oil Pastels (figurative)

1st – Sarah Krukemyer, Eastwood

2nd – Jordon Tipping, Eastwood

Graphics: Computer

1st – Hannah Bertok, Genoa

2nd – Manh Nguyen, Genoa

Craft: Fibers

3rd – Madison Hand, Oak Harbor

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Best of Show: 2D – Jamie Greenwald, Otsego

Runner-Up Best of Show: 2D – Veronica Gilbert, Danbury

Best of Show: 3D – Anna Gerwin, Woodmore

Runner-Up: 3D – Sophia Matthews, Oak Harbor

People’s Choice – Payton Hill, Genoa

Category Awards

Press-area schools only

Drawing: Pencil (single-colored) (figurative)

2nd – Allie Winter, Oak Harbor

Drawing: Pencil (single-colored) (non-objective)

1st – Alexandria Nunley, Woodmore

Crafts: Metals

1st – Madi Wagner, Oak Harbor

2nd – Noah Code, Oak Harbor

3rd – Aubree Cornett, Oak Harbor

Drawing: Oil Pastels (objective)

1st – Harper Krouts, Oak Harbor

2nd – Rylee Carr, Genoa

3rd – Kitana Lopez-Perez, Genoa

Painting: Tempera (figurative)

1st – Kennedy Heath, Genoa

2nd – Gracelyn Soltis, Genoa

3rd – Allisyn Kopp, Genoa

Crafts: Rug/Fiber Techniques

1st – Lydia Thomas, Woodmore

2nd – Lillian Thompson, Woodmore

3rd – Liberty Schroder, Woodmore

Drawing: Pencil (multi-colored) (non-objective)

1st – Lydia Thomas, Woodmore

3rd – Emilee Barr, Woodmore

Drawing: Pencil (multi-colored) (objective)

1st – Carrieann Lenz, Genoa

2nd – Sophia Matusus, Oak Harbor

Ceramics: Wheel Thrown

1st – William Ritter, Oak Harbor

2nd – Olive Walker, Oak Harbor

3rd – Makala Love, Oak Harbor

Ceramics: Hand Built

1st – William Ritter, Oak Harbor

2nd – Luciana Schumaker, Genoa

3rd – Payton Hill, Genoa

Ceramics: Sculpture

1st – Rider Espinoza, Genoa

2nd – Alana Sample, Genoa

3rd – Haidyn Wolford, Oak Harbor

Crafts: Fibers

1st – Anna Gerwin, Woodmore

2nd – Reagen Bradstock, Woodmore

Sculpture: Assorted

1st – Sophia Matthews, Oak Harbor

2nd – Leo Rocker, Woodmore

Painting: Watercolor (objective)

1st – Olive Walker, Oak Harbor

2nd – Aniyah Garcia, Oak Harbor

3rd – William Ritter, Oak Harbor

Prints

1st – Tatem Wasserman, Genoa

2nd – Maizy Johnson, Genoa

3rd – Luciana Schumaker, Genoa

Painting: Tempera (objective)

1st – Mylee Zaciewski, Genoa

2nd – Tatem Wasserman, Genoa

3rd – Sophia Shell, Genoa

Drawing: Pencil (single-colored) (objective)

1st – Sofia Matusus, Oak Harbor

3rd – Aniyah Garcia, Oak Harbor

Drawing: Scratchboard

1st – Cara Witikowski, Oak Harbor

3rd – Caede Karavas, Genoa

Drawing: Charcoal

1st – William Ritter, Oak Harbor

2nd – Aniyah Garcia, Oak Harbor

3rd – Sofia Matusus, Oak Harbor