'It is wonderful to see them shine': Villages Charter student wins national art awards

THE VILLAGES — A local student has been named a national winner in the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Sixteen-year-old Sophia Hurtt from Villages Charter High School has won both the National Scholastic Art Gold Key Award and the American Vision Award for her piece, "The Counter at Perini's."

Hurtt was among local students who participated in the competition, which was facilitated locally by The Leesburg Center for the Arts and Leesburg High School Art Department, in partnership with the National Scholastic Art and Writing Alliance.

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'The Counter at Perini's'

Hurtt's "The Counter at Perinis" is a pen and ink piece. This is a very intricate, black and white piece of two older male subjects working behind the counter serving customers at Perini's, a deli shop in Italy.

"I actually took the photo that inspired my drawing while my mom and I were on vacation in Italy. I always take a million photos when we go on vacation, and that photo was one of the snapshots I got," Sophia Hurtt wrote in an email. "I honestly don't remember the whole story behind why we went into Perini's, the deli shop featured in my drawing, but I do remember we got some really great snacks for our picnic that day."

Hurtt says that she chose to draw the shop in ink because she's always liked the look of old, vintage vacation photos and wanted to recreate her artwork in that same style.

"Working with pen and ink specifically allowed me to put greater emphasis on all the little details in the store," Hurtt said. "On the surface, a scene like this can appear very plain, but when I looked at it through a different lens I saw all these little beautiful things that made it something more special than I first realized."

Hurtt says creating this piece was something she felt called to do.

"I wish I had some really cool inspiring story to tell you about this artwork, but honestly, this scene was one of those images that just stuck out to me in a way I can't quite describe," she said. "It was a memory I felt I could make something beautiful with, so I did."

2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are the country's most prestigious scholarship and recognition program for creative students in grades 7–12. The competition is in its 99th year, but it's the first time students from Lake, Sumter, Marion and Citrus Counties participated.

The call for art submissions opened September 1, and many local students participated. The competition was juried by three judges from Beacon College in early January and the award winners were announced at the end of January.

Nationally, nearly 100,000 students across the United States and Canada submitted art and writing pieces. Twenty-two teens from the four-county area received regional honors, including Gold Keys, Silver Keys, Honorable Mentions, and American Visions & Voices nominations, from local Scholastic Awards Affiliate NorthWest Central Florida Region.

Since the program began in 1923, millions of students have been awarded this honor including famous artists Tschabalala Self, Stephen King, Kay WalkingStick, Charles White, Joyce Carol Oates, and Andy Warhol when they were in their teens. These awards are granted based on originality, technical skill, and emergence of a personal voice or vision.

Local winners

In total, eight students from Leesburg High School, two students from Tavares High School, one student from Umatilla High School, and one student from the Villages Charter High School — Hurtt — were recognized for their work.

Others include D'Ante Morgan and Kyleigh Jones from Leesburg High School.

Maria Stefanovic, the director of the Leesburg Center for the arts, said she couldn't be more proud to see local students' talent recognized at with such prestigious awards.

"For far too long we’ve undervalued the talent that lives in our community and it is wonderful to see them shine," Stefanovic said. “The Leesburg Center for the Arts is thrilled and excited to be a part of this journey of providing opportunities to local art students."

Hurtt won both the Gold Portfolio Award and American Visions Award. The Gold Portfolio Award is the program's highest honor in 2022, which includes a $10,000 scholarship and the opportunity to have her work displayed in exhibits throughout the year across the United States. The American Visions Award is chosen by a panel of jurors in New York City and nominees are awarded $250.

There will be a national ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City to present the 2022 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Previously, the ceremony has included famous special guests such as Oprah Winfrey, Tim Gunn, Alec Baldwin, Sonia Manzano, Tituss Burgess, Amy Schumer, Billy Collins, Whoopi Goldberg, and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Unfortunately, Hurtt will be studying abroad in France when the ceremony will be taking place, but her family is looking forward to attending the event.

"I cannot tell you how proud her family and friends are for this wonderful achievement," Deb Hurtt, Sophia's mother, wrote in an email. "I wish she could attend the awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall, but she will still be out of the country. So a whole Hurtt Family contingent is going on her behalf to accept her award."

This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: Villages High School student wins national awards for her artwork