April 19, 2024 – Young artists in grades 9 – 12 from throughout Door County were celebrated at a free public reception held on April 15 for the 50th Annual Salon of Door County High School Art. The Miller Art Museum announced the award winners and honored all student participants during a special awards ceremony at the event.
Award winners pictured from left to right, front: Marissa Shefchik (Honorable Mention, Southern Door), Berkley Schwab (Award of Excellence, Gibraltar), Brooklynn Eash (Honorable Mention, Homeschool), Charlotte Bloniarz (Award of Excellence, Southern Door), Malia Rothrock (Honorable Mention, Sturgeon Bay). Back: Elliot Eash (Award of Excellence, Homeschool), and Tatum Routhieaux (Award of Excellence, Sturgeon Bay). Not pictured: Elizabeth Bautista, Cora Maccoux, Madelyn Kellerman, Emily Nickchen, and Gianna Roman.
The exhibit is a multi-media exhibition featuring original artwork by 113 students from the 2023-24 academic year who attend school at one of the Peninsula’s five high schools: Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay, and Washington Island. Two homeschooled students are also represented this year.
Certificates of Participation were presented to all student artists by their respective art teachers. Students receiving an Award of Excellence or Honorable Mention were announced and presented by Curator Helen del Guidice during the reception.
Awards of Excellence ($100 cash prize):
• Berkley Schwab, Gibraltar High School
• Elliot Eash, Homeschool
• Cora Maccoux, Sevastopol High School
• Charlotte Bloniarz, Southern Door High School
• Tatum Routhieaux, Stugeon Bay High School
• Madelyn Kellerman, Washington Island High School
Honorable Mention ($50 cash prize):
• Elizabeth Bautista, Gibraltar High School
• Brooklynn Eash, Homeschool
• Gianna Roman, Sevastopol High School
• Marissa Shefchik, Southern Door High School
• Malia Rothrock, Sturgeon Bay High School
• Emily Nickchen, Washington Island High School
Award of Excellence winners received $100, and Honorable Mention awardees were given $50. In addition to cash prizes, the museum, through a generous financial gift from the Cramer Family Fund in memory of Tricia Cramer, provided awardees certificates for instruction to further their artistic endeavors through workshops at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek. The Artists Guild LLC and Blue Moon Framery, both of Sturgeon Bay, sponsored art supplies and a framing certificate.
Executive Director Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead had the honor of presenting the second annual Mr. Rericha Legacy Award, a $100 cash prize, to Sevastopol High School freshman Genevieve Serrahn––who could not attend––for her work titled, “A Ride to School.” Jim Rericha was a longtime art teacher and theater director at Sevastopol who had a significant impact on the lives of those he taught and mentored throughout his long teaching career; he passed away in 2022 and an anonymous financial gift makes the award possible.
“There is a no-holds-barred approach to the creation of work from young artists that makes viewing their work exciting and refreshing,” says Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead, Miller Art Museum executive director. “Visitors to this year’s exhibit will see many explorations of self and media, reflected with varied color palettes, and beautifully rendered sketches. Without a doubt, many of the works are thought-provoking, reflect a sense of place and what’s happening in their world.”
In addition to the student awards, the museum also presented monetary awards to each high school art department, made possible through gifts from the Cramer Family Fund and DCAL. DCAL was a longstanding coalition of artists and art lovers who were committed to promoting the creative arts in Door County and supporting each other through mentoring, exhibitions, workshops, and fellowship. The organization was dissolved in 2016 and the museum was given a financial gift specifically so that it could serve as a conduit for the support of students through the exhibit.
The awards, unless otherwise stated, are given as recognition for achievements in art class and are generously sponsored by John and Kathy Campbell, Dennis and Bonnie Connolly, Chris Cramer, Huehns Family Charitable Trust, the Jacksonport Women’s Club, Barb and Mike Madden, MMG Fdn., Inc., Nicolet National Bank, Ellsworth and Carla Peterson Fdn., and Ruth Scholz.
Additional in-kind and grant support has been provided by Artists Guild LLC, Blue Moon Framery, the Peninsula School of Art, and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“We are particularly grateful for our sponsors and their partnership in celebrating these young artists,” Gigstead continued. “Gerhard’s spirit is ever present and we are honored to be able to provide a platform for this each year.”
The 50th Annual Salon of Door County High School Art will be on view at the Miller Art Museum through Saturday, May 18, 2024.