Artistic Accolades: LPS students capture state honors for creative abilities

March 24, 2025

Lincoln Public Schools students turned their artistic ideas into prize-winning innovations this winter through the Scholastic Art Awards of Nebraska program.
 
Students from Lincoln High, East, North Star and Arts and Humanities Focus Program captured 47 honors for their wide range of artistic talents. Judges presented them with Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention recognition in categories ranging from ceramics to comic art.
 
The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers (AYAW) oversees the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program each year. The first round takes place in various worldwide regions. Participants must be in grades 7-12 and live in the United States, Canada or U.S. territories or on U.S. military bases.
 
Arts and Humanities student Ethan Dudney pocketed four Gold Keys, one Silver Key and one Honorable Mention medal at the contest. He earned awards in photography, comic art and drawing and illustration categories.
 
“We are very proud of the students who chose to submit work for this year’s Scholastic Arts Awards, including Ethan,” Arts and Humanities teacher Michelle Hrbek said. “Ethan is a student who looks for opportunities to showcase his work, never shying away from visual arts competitions. He did well in this year’s show.”

 
North Star senior Chase Strohmyer also highlighted the group of LPS award recipients with his photography work. He earned four Gold Keys, four Silver Keys and two Honorable Mention medals for his efforts. He has focused his attention on sports and street photography, which involves being ready to snap memorable shots at any moment.
 
“Whether it’s sports or street photography, when everything falls in place and I snap the picture at the right time, it’s super exciting to see that I captured what I did,” Strohmyer said. “That thrill of getting the next ‘best shot’ is also one of my favorite parts of photography.”
 
Jason Codr teaches visual arts at North Star and is the art department’s chairperson. He said Strohmyer has distinguished himself with his work ethic and dedication. He has learned about both digital and darkroom film photography over the past two years, and he has asked Codr many questions about ways to improve his craft.
 
“It has been truly my pleasure to have Chase as a student,” Codr said. “I have loved working with him, helping and watching him grow. Even more so has been seeing his inner passion come out through his photography. He is still shooting and editing photos almost every day. To top it off, he has inspired many younger students to take photography more seriously, passing on that energy and desire to those around him, always willing to answer questions and share what he has learned as well.”
 
Strohmyer used various techniques to capture his award-winning images. He took a Gold Key picture of a basketball player leaping for a dunk attempt with a wide-angle lens, and a second Gold Key photo employed motion-blur technology to record a football player. His other two Gold Key visions were of sunlight splashing on several bicycles and an out-of-focus dog looking directly at the in-focus image of a car key.

 
Strohmyer has taken pictures at dozens of sporting events in his role as editor-in-chief of North Star’s yearbook. He said it was fun to find new ways to document volleyball digs, wrestling takedowns and sprinting successes.
 
“I just try my best to find good lighting, subject and composition to make the picture great,” Strohmyer said.
 
Codr said that modesty has led to many prize-winning moments for Strohmyer.
 
“Even with all this success and talent, the best part about Chase is he remains humble, wanting to learn and help in any way he can,” Codr said. “That is who he is at his core, and those things are what makes Chase great.”
 
Dudney and fellow Arts and Humanities student Tasa Nguyen, East student Elaine Yu and North Star students Samuel Manning, Emily Mattson, Neshi Pruneda, Chase Strohmyer and Jack Strohmyer all won prestigious Gold Key Awards. They earned honors in photography, drawing and illustration, art portfolio, painting and comic art categories.
 
Omaha Public Schools is hosting a public display of the award-winning Nebraska artwork through April 11. Many LPS students also took part in a statewide ceremony honoring regional winners.
 
Codr said the Scholastic Art Awards of Nebraska program provides a valuable experience for all young LPS artists.
 
“I think it is important for students to have their work seen and judged by others outside their classroom circle,” Codr said. “It helps them become critical of themselves and what they could work on, explore and make better. It also gives them a fresh perspective that it is all subjective, and some things will be loved while others will be overlooked.”

The following artwork is from this year’s LPS award recipients. Names of each recipient are listed below.

Gold Key Recipients

Arts and Humanities Focus Program

Ethan Dudney – Photography – “Rebirth” – Grade 10
Ethan Dudney – Photography – “Dragon Upon the Leaf” – Grade 10
Ethan Dudney – Comic Art – “Famine” – Grade 10
Ethan Dudney – Drawing and Illustration – “Witch” – Grade 10
Tasa Nguyen – Art Portfolio – “Loneliness Caused by Ostracization” – Grade 12

Lincoln East

Elaine Yu – Painting – “Childlike Wonder” – Grade 12
Elaine Yu – Painting – “Interrupting Something” – Grade 12

Lincoln North Star

Samuel Manning – Photography – “Seed In Sunset” – Grade 9
Emily Mattson – Photography – “Snake Eyes” – Grade 12
Neshi Pruneda – Photography – “Thinking inside the Box” – Grade 11
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Catching Air” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Holy Bikes” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Pure Focus” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Shutter play: Friday Night Football” – Grade 12
Jack Strohmyer – Photography – “A Flower At Dawn” – Grade 9

Silver Key Recipients

Arts and Humanities Focus Program

Ethan Dudney – Photography – “Contemplative Reptilian” – Grade 10
Dejana Pratt – Drawing and Illustration – “Hollow Cavity” – Grade 12
Selah Pultz – Photography – “Look Up” – Grade 11

Lincoln High

Lane Hansen – Photography – “Cynthia” – Grade 10

Lincoln East

Elaine Yu – Painting – “Thinking with my Heart” – Grade 12

Lincoln North Star

Haider Al Khafaji – Photography – “Hidden Smile” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “City Stream” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “From under the Stairs” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Listen Up” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “We Strive Together: Lincoln North Star” – Grade 12

Honorable Mention Recipients

Arts and Humanities Focus Program

Ethan Dudney – Photography – “The Essence of Spring” – Grade 10
Selah Pultz – Photography – “Self Photo #2” – Grade 11

Lincoln High

Evie Becher – Ceramics – “Dimple Teapot” – Grade 10
Lane Hansen – Photography – “Sheraton Grand Chicago” – Grade 10
Lane Hansen – Photography – “The Little School on the Hilltop” – Grade 10
Evett Lyne – Ceramics – “My Culture” – Grade 10
Maddie Scholl – Sculpture – “Drowning” – Grade 12
Lily Tran – Painting – “Dinner Night” – Grade 10

Lincoln East

Nicholas Li – Art Portfolio – Grade 12
Elaine Yu – Painting – “Who Are Yu?” – Grade 12

Lincoln North Star

Eve Lukashuk – Photography – “Colors of Fall” – Grade 12
Samuel Manning – Photography – “Baseball Fence” – Grade 9
Emily Mattson – Photography – “Web Of Water” – Grade 12
Fomo Mohamed – Photography – “Help Me” – Grade 12
Jordan Nguyen – Photography – “Ring on Branch” – Grade 11
Jordan Nguyen – Photography – “Orange Leaf” – Grade 11
Neshi Pruneda – Photography – “Through the Shadows” – Grade 11
Sidney Stephan – Photography – “The Ants’ Feast” – Grade 11
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Morning Shadows Lead the Way” – Grade 12
Chase Strohmyer – Photography – “Searching for Light” – Grade 12

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