CHS students win Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

By Canton Citizen

Seven Canton High School students were recently recognized as part of the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, presented by the Boston Globe and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University (SMFA).

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, is the nation’s longest-running recognition program for creative teens. Students in grades 7-12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing, and all entries are considered for Gold Key, Silver Key and Honorable Mention, as well as other recognitions.

“Rave” by Caitlin O’Sullivan (click to enlarge)

Two Canton students, senior Caitlin O’Sullivan and sophomore Tara Geoghan, were awarded a Silver Key in the Photography category, while another budding photographer, senior Molly Dwoske, garnered an Honorable Mention.

O’Sullivan was honored for her photo titled “Rave,” which uses the color red to highlight the “thrilling and electrifying memories that (the female subjects) share together.”

“Instantly when looking at the photo, you can tell the subjects are enthusiastic,” O’Sullivan said. “By their movement and facial expressions, you can see that they want this memory to last forever. They’re smiling, laughing, and dancing. This image captures a moment in time.”

Geoghan was recognized for her photo titled “Lost Slippers,” which shows a closeup of dance slippers.

“Lost Slippers” by Tara Geoghan

“Each wrinkle, each crease, each mark, demonstrates the journey that has been walked, danced, and jumped through,” Geoghan explained. “By doing this work I learned photographers truly create the meaning behind their photographs. Photographing something special to me has helped me connect to the story I am portraying. When looking at my work, I hope that viewers will learn to recognize that hard work will always show, in some way or another.”

Dwoske’s photo, titled “Dual Lights,” was made by swinging LEDs around in different ways.

“Different directions, speeds, and colors resulted in an endless amount of interesting photos,” she said. “When editing, the darkening of the shadows made the lights pop out and illuminated the wall behind, giving more of an outline to it. I had fun experimenting with long exposure and editing in general, but my favorite part was trying out light painting.”

“Dual Lights” by Molly Dwoske

In addition to the Scholastic Art winners, four other CHS students were recognized for their writing submissions, including two Silver Key winners, freshman Sadie Gugliotta for her poem titled “Garden of Deception,” and junior Rachel Pirrera for her memoir entry titled “Modern Pierott.”

Also recognized with an Honorable Mention for poetry were seniors Kelly Woodworth (“It Takes Two; Song of Myself; Ode to Regret”) and Emily Kelly (“In Between World”).

A slideshow featuring the students’ work, including excerpts from the poetry and memoir submissions and additional details about the photography, can be viewed at tinyurl.com/chs-scholastic.

“We are so very proud of our student artists and writers that have received Scholastic Awards this year,” said Patricia Palmer, PreK-12 visual arts coordinator. “This long-standing awards program highlights artistic vision, voice, technical skill and originality. Being honored with an award is quite an achievement. Congratulations!”

Added Principal Jeff Sperling, “Each student puts so much time and focus into their piece, whether it be art or writing, and it’s great to see the creativity and passion that shows through their work.”

This year, more than 10,000 art and writing entries were submitted, and students were judged based on their originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

An award ceremony for Silver and Gold Key recipients will be held on March 18, and an exhibition of Gold Key winners will be on display at Breed Hall on the Tufts Medford campus from March 18-25.

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