Two LPS young creatives earn national tributes for writing, artistic talents

August 5, 2024

Lincoln Public Schools students Gabi and Cheryl used their creative talents to craft award-winning art and writing legacies this year.
 
Both students won prestigious honors in the 2024 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards contest. Gabi, who finished her sophomore year at Lincoln High School this past spring, earned a National American Visions Award for her sculpture entitled “fatigue.” Cheryl, who completed her junior year at East High School, earned a National American Voices Award for her writing piece entitled “Paper Cranes.”
 
Gabi was one of only 85 students from across the country to receive an American Visions Award, and Cheryl was one of only 45 students to receive an American Voices Award. There were more than 10,000 art and writing submissions in the contest, which was sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
 
Gabi and Cheryl won state-level Gold Key Awards for their efforts, and a panel of national judges selected them for American Visions (art) and American Voices (writing) honors. Both said they were thrilled when they learned about the awards.
 
“I was very surprised,” Gabi said. “I went to go see the state art show in Omaha this spring, and I was looking at all of the pieces, and I was thinking, ‘Everything’s so cool. There’s no way mine won.’ I took a bunch of pictures of pieces that I thought were really cool. It was really surprising to hear how my piece did.”
 
“I pulled the announcement up on my phone when I was sitting on my bed, and I kind of screamed to myself,” Cheryl said. “It really didn’t hit what the award meant at first, because I didn’t have context as to what the American Voices Award was, but when I got the numbers back and found out how many there were nationwide, it really hit then.”

Gabi

Gabi said the idea for “fatigue” came from her personal experiences this past winter. The combination of school, show choir and theater activities filled her calendar to a point where she felt overwhelmed. She decided to use sculpture as an outlet for her emotions.
 
“I was fatigued,” Gabi said. “At the time I was experiencing burnout, so I thought, ‘Let’s create something about that.’”

 
Gabi learned more about sculpture techniques after taking classes with Shawn Stokes over the past two years. The LHS art teacher said she was proud to see the amount of work ethic Gabi displayed while creating “fatigue.” She said Gabi is the first student in Lincoln High history to win a National American Visions Award.
 
“This is a rare, but deserved, feat for a high school visual artist,” Stokes said. “I am so thrilled for Gabi to get this honor, especially on a national stage that is the Scholastic Art Awards.”

 
Gabi’s mother, Jenn, said she glimpsed her daughter’s talent at church when she was a young child. Jenn had given her playdough to entertain herself during the service, and Gabi created a blooming rose out of the material. The flower’s intricate detail made her mom stop and smile.
 
“It was just the most beautiful thing,” Jenn said. “It was something that made me realize that Gabi had a lot of artistic talent. We’re super proud of her for using her talent in such a positive way with all of the things she creates.”

 
Stokes said Gabi’s passion for artwork is a major reason for her success. She has watched Gabi generate high-quality paintings, drawings, sculptures and photography.
 
“Gabi always has a personal connection to her work,” Stokes said. “She is motivated by saying something in her work. That expression, in combination with her technical skills, makes her a great visionary and artist.”
 
Gabi originally thought photography would be the best way to produce “fatigue,” but she soon realized sculpture would be a better option. Her artwork shows someone with their hands curled up by their cheeks and their face wearing a tired expression.

 
Gabi added a family connection to the piece, as her younger sister was the model for the hands. She completed the entire sculpting process in several weeks both at school and home.
 
Gabi said it was humbling to know her efforts had made a positive impression on professional judges. She said her experience with “fatigue” had given her the confidence to continue exploring many artistic avenues.
 
“I definitely enjoyed it,” Gabi said. “The ability to make things out of a lump of clay is so cool to me. It’s just fun to work with.”

Cheryl

Cheryl said East teachers Toni Siedel-Dutton and Sarah Staples-Farmer gave her valuable literary insights this past school year. She said both helped her learn that outside-the-box thinking can be a key part of a writer’s toolbox.
 
“I definitely took note of how much fun being unconventional can be,” Cheryl said. “There are all sorts of things you can work with: the pace, the spacing, putting things in places where they might not normally fit. It’s fun to come up with those ideas and see how they can work best.”

 
Siedel-Dutton spent time with Cheryl during the fall semester in an AP Language and Composition class. She said Cheryl has “a wonderful balance” of being creative, intuitive and academically-minded.
 
“In many ways, Cheryl’s writing stands apart from the typical high school writer,” Siedel-Dutton said. “Her insights and the perspective she offers made her writing both wise and sometimes heartbreaking.”

 
Staples-Farmer has watched Cheryl display her writing skills for three semesters. She felt Cheryl’s willingness to work hard at the craft of writing has led to exceptional outcomes.
 
“Cheryl is not just a ‘good’ writer; she is a brilliant writer who considers her audience and what they will need to understand her message as an author,” Staples-Farmer said. “Great writers are usually great thinkers, and they perceive the world in a way that inspires readers to view the world through a new lens. I believe Cheryl to be one of these writers.”
 
Cheryl said she wrote “Paper Cranes” to express the many emotions that came after her grandmother’s death. She talked about the impact her grandmother made on the lives of her family, and she spoke about the relationship she currently has with her mother. She also reflected on experiencing true sorrow for the first time.
 
“It was difficult,” Cheryl said. “It definitely taught me a lot about my self-discipline and personal responsibilities. Overall, it was my first confrontation with grief, so it was a lot to deal with.”

 
Siedel-Dutton said “Paper Cranes” revealed the amount of talent Cheryl has.
 
“She made such unique and sophisticated style choices as she grappled with the death of her grandmother and the legacy of her grandmother’s life, particularly in relation to Cheryl’s mother and Cheryl,” Siedel-Dutton said. “In a word, it was beautiful and moving.”
 
Cheryl has collected an impressive list of accolades in the past six months. She was selected as the winner of the Congressional Art Competition for Nebraska’s 1st Congressional District in May. Her painting featuring the Sower statue at the top of the Nebraska State Capitol is currently being displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

 
Cheryl earned a “Superior” designation in this spring’s National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Achievement Awards in Writing competition. She penned an essay that blended her own personal artwork with narrative writing.
 
Cheryl also won first place in the art division of the Nebraska Emerging Writers and Artists Contest. She captured top honors with a piece entitled “Through Binoculars.”
 
Staples-Farmer and East Principal Casey Fries said it is exciting to see Cheryl receiving state and national applause for her talents. Both felt she would continue to write winning words in the future.
 
“Cheryl is a remarkable person,” Fries said. “I think she sets a great example for students, not only with her work ethic but also being able to take risks. She’s someone who is a great role model for everyone she meets.”
 
“I’ve enjoyed watching her mature and develop as a young author and one who realizes the power of writing and the joy that can come from building a piece of writing into something spectacular,” Staples-Farmer said.
 
Three LPS students also earned silver medals in this year’s national contest. North Star student Genesis was honored for a work entitled “Immigration: Missing Family,” and Lincoln High student Vaishvika’s work entitled “code switch” was a medal-winning piece. Arts and Humanities student Ethan created an award-winning comic book entitled “Roaches vs. Rats” for the contest.
 
LPS offers many English and language arts classes at both secondary and elementary levels. View our resources about classroom lessons, summer reading programs and district activities such as speech and yearbook.

Learn more about the wide array of LPS art classes to see a list of our art teachers, study programs and area museums and galleries links on our website: https://home.lps.org/art/.

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