April 18, 2025 – The Miller Art Museum proudly announced the student award recipients of the 51st Annual Salon of Door County High School Art during a free public reception held on April 7, 2025. The celebratory event recognized the creative accomplishments of young artists ages 14 – 18 years from all five Door County high schools: Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay, and Washington Island.
Certificates of Participation were presented to all student artists by their respective art teachers, honoring the creativity demonstrated across the nearly 150 works on view. Certificates of Excellence, Honorable Mention awards, and the Rericha Legacy Award were presented by Executive Director Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead during the event, all highlighting outstanding artistic achievement.
Certificates of Excellence ($100 cash prize awarded by teachers for students’ exceptional creativity, execution, and conceptual strength):
- Dasia Daubner, Gibraltar High School
- Rachel Rock, Sevastopol High School
- Charlotte Bloniarz, Southern Door High School
- Mack Teska, Sturgeon Bay High School
- Jocelyn Mann, Washington Island High School
Honorable Mentions ($50 cash prize awarded by teachers for artistic promise):
- Ombeline Finck, Gibraltar High School
- Liliahna Snyder, Sevastopol High School
- Miya Sanchez-Gutierrez, Southern Door High School
- Ryan Felhofer, Sturgeon Bay High School
- Madelyn Kellerman, Washington Island High School
Jim Rericha Legacy Award ($100 cash prize presented in memory of beloved Door County art educator Jim Rericha. This award honors a Sevastopol High School Student whose work exemplifies outstanding creativity and artistic skill.
- Kylie Sikorski, Sevastopol High School
Jim Rericha (1945-2022) was a beloved figure in the Door County arts community, serving as an art teacher and theater director in the Sevastopol School District from 1987 until his retirement. Beyond the classroom, he directed theater productions and taught youth classes at the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek. His curated collection of student artwork, known as the Legacy Collection, remains on display at Sevastopol School, serving as a testament to his impact on the community and the students he touched.
"This annual exhibition continues to affirm the tremendous talent that exists within our local schools," said Executive Director Elizabeth Meissner-Gigstead. "We are honored to celebrate these students and grateful to the educators who mentor and guide their creative journeys."
Youth art exhibitions like the Miller Art Museum’s longstanding Salon of Door County High School Art highlight the importance of arts education and its impact on student expression and growth.
“Visitors to this year’s exhibition will find bold paintings, many explorations of self and media reflected with varied color palettes, beautifully rendered sketches, and many portraits. Without a doubt, many of the works are thought-provoking, reflect students’ sense of place, and what’s happening in their world," Gigstead continued.
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 the Door County Art League (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. When the organization dissolved in 2016, the museum received a restricted financial gift intended to carry forward its mission by directly supporting students through the annual exhibition.
The exhibit is generously supported by Presenting Sponsors Dennis and Bonnie Connolly and Hermke and Elke Timm and Supporting Sponsors John and Kathy Campbell, Chris Cramer, the Jacksonport Women’s Club, Barb and Mike Madden, the MMG Fdn., Inc., and Ruth Scholz and Family. In-kind and grant support has been provided by the Artists Guild LLC, 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. Gerhard’s spirit is ever present and we are honored to be able to provide a platform for the celebration of young artists in our community each year,” Gigstead concluded.
The 51st Annual Salon of Door County High School Art remains on view in downtown Sturgeon Bay through May 27, 2025.