For the past 51 years, the Springville Museum of Art has hosted an annual student art competition. This year, 976 works of art from across Utah were entered. Of those, 336 were chosen for display. 

Six student entries from five Olympus High School students were accepted. In addition to being displayed in the museum, student artwork is professionally adjudicated and often sold to private buyers. It’s a prestigious addition to students’ portfolios and resumes. 

The artwork in the show is also eligible for selection in a traveling art exhibit. The traveling exhibition is sponsored by the Utah Division of Arts & Museums, and happens immediately following the Springville show. This year’s selection includes a work by Olympus student Sophia Santos. 

The museum’s website explains what it means to be accepted to the show. “It will travel during the 2023-24 school year to museums, galleries, libraries and schools throughout Utah. 

“This is a very prestigious show, consisting of less than 10% of works accepted into the High School Show. The traveling show is a great opportunity for student artists who are looking to expand their audience and build their resume.”  

Awards were also given to two other Olympus High works, both by Katherine Carlston. “Color” was given the Jurors’ Choice Award. “Her Calling (Joan of Arc)” was awarded a Lyon Arts Studio Scholarship. 

The following is each Olympus artist’s statement describing their work. All works are available to view on the Springville Museum of Art’s online gallery. 

LilyKate Jones, senior

“East of the Sun, West of the Moon” 

Mixed media

This piece is based off of one of my favorite fairytales from when I was younger, “East of the Sun, West of the Moon.” I wanted to include elements of the story in the border. It takes place in a land “east of the sun and west of the moon,” so I placed the sun in the top left corner and the moon in the top right. I also drew the four winds around the center border. 

It is a Norwegian folktale so I based the patterns in the border on Norwegian folk art. I created it with watercolor and digital details and overlay.

Sophia Santos, senior

“Relative Darkness”

Oil on board

Selected for Utah Division of Arts & Museums Traveling Exhibition 

In “Relative Darkness” I wanted to explore creating a visual language that connects all the pieces I created this year. Bright, warm colors represent connection, cool colors are peace, and expanses of darkness symbolize isolation. 

[The subject] is a close friend of mine; it was the first night we had been together after a year apart. She expresses interest in spending time together, but she spends a lot of time by herself, I don’t know if it’s by choice. 

The reference for this painting was a photo I took the night our friendship was rekindled. Her face is bright, contrasted with the dark background, is the spark of our connection; I want it to feel almost like she’s approaching out of the blackness.

Ellie Robison, senior

“Vitiligo”

Oil on canvas 

My work is about underappreciated beauty. My piece shows a representation of the skin condition vitiligo, and how beautiful it is. I believe that people with this condition are underrepresented for their beauty. 

People with vitiligo have these intricate patterns and beautiful organic shapes that make their skin the way it is, and they deserve more credit for their uniqueness. Understanding this beauty is just one piece of truly understanding beauty in all forms.

Elsa Campbell, senior

“Ideal Consumer”

Acrylic on canvas

This piece explores the identity of teenage girls through the eyes of advertisers. With Gen Z making up 40% of the world’s consumer population, the fight for relevance within the younger population has intensified. Through the popularization of social media, edited and fabricated images have become standardized thus pushing the beauty standard to a place of impossibility. 

This unachievable new expectation has not only created feelings of inadequacy in young women, but also capitalism’s dream customer. The more inferior the consumer feels and the more idealized the goal, the larger and more consistent the profit.

Katherine Carlston, senior

“Color” 

Colored pencil

Jurors’ Choice Award

This piece is a tribute to and an expression of my appreciation for color. I attempted to portray this appreciation with the use of bright colors and multiple mediums, as well as putting a colorful design on almost every surface. It may seem a trivial gratitude but as an artist, color is very meaningful to me. It brings brightness and beauty into my life when I can’t find it anywhere else.

Katherine Carlston, senior

“Her Calling (Joan of Arc)” 

Oil on canvas

Lyon Arts Studio Scholarship

When Joan of Arc was 13 she started having visions of angels (St. Catherine is featured in this work). They called her to fight for France’s freedom, but she did not act until she was 17. Joan later led the French army to victory. 

I greatly admire her determination, especially since I feel apprehensive about my own journey. I chose myself as the model for Joan, relating her experience to my own. I used my face for the angel, as well, because I thought that Joan would have been especially inspired by someone in whom she could see herself. 

This piece is meaningful to me because it felt like the start of fulfilling my calling, just like Joan of Arc in this moment.λ