The annual Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards is the largest juried student art exhibition in the state. Submitted works are evaluated by professional artists and university art faculty, who select exceptional pieces for the state-wide exhibition at the University of Hartford. For many years, Kent School has participated in the Awards, nominating students to represent Kent at the state level.

This year, the selection process was especially competitive, with a record high of approximately 3,000 total art entries. Among the 575 pieces accepted for exhibit were works by 7 distinguished Kent artists – Jojo Idris ’17, Ansh Jetly ’17, Mike Kundin ’17, Erin Cho ’18, Austen Stockdale ’17, David Bird ’17, and Sunao Takegami ’17. Idris’s entire art portfolio was selected to feature in the exhibit, an honor unprecedented in Kent’s history.

Cho, who won gold and silver medals at the national level last year, was honored again this year with her piece, “Grief.” The piece is a part of her larger concentration on “African tolerance,” a theme that spans many of the works she created in the last two years. Cho found inspiration for her concentration while researching about tragic human rights violations in different parts of Africa. Now a 5th former, Cho started working on the piece her during her 4th form year and finished it in her AP Studio Art class this year.

The three art teachers at Kent – Ms. Lynch, Ms. Brody, and Mr. Scofield – are each allowed to nominate a maximum of 5 student artworks and 12 portfolios (8 cohesive pieces). “We try to meet their vision and pick works the jurors with appreciate,” said Ms. Lynch. According to Ms. Lynch, being nominated to enter is already a huge honor. “All the works [we choose] are beyond fantastic, comparable to college freshmen or sophomore level,” she said.

Ms. Lynch further emphasized that the art program at Kent gives students the opportunity to explore interdisciplinary art. For instance, the resources here at Kent allowed students to enter their works in such categories as Architecture & Industrial Design and Ceramics & Glass, helping students stand out among the crowd and be selected by jurors.