The Harrison School District is proud to celebrate the exceptional achievements of our High School art students at the recent Governor’s Young Artist Competition. At a prestigious awards ceremony held at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion on May 7th, Harrison High School (HHS) talent was on full display, with our students securing the majority of the top honors in the state.
This annual competition is one of Arkansas' most esteemed platforms for high school artists. It challenges students to create original works centered around a specific theme, with the winning pieces selected for display at the Governor’s Mansion.
This year’s theme was "Our American Story—A View from the Arkansas Lens: Commemorative 250th Celebration of the United States of America." Out of over 200 submissions from across the state, judges selected only 50 pieces for the final exhibition. In an incredible showing for our local art program, 17 of those 50 pieces were created by HHS students.
Harrison students led the field, winning five out of the seven possible First Place awards across all categories.
William Bryce Presley took home the top honor of the night, winning First Place in Painting and the prestigious Best of Show award. His painting of a rainbow trout breaching the water perfectly captured the natural beauty of the Arkansas outdoors.
Our First Place Winners:
Ethan Ables: First Place – Drawing
Aubrey Brandon: First Place – Photography (for the landscape "River of Industry")
Wayne Emmons: First Place – Digital Art (for a striking and beautiful composition)
Audrinna Olcott: First Place – Illustration (featuring a nostalgic nod to our local Dogpatch)
Runner-Up Honors:
Riley Crow: Runner-Up – Photography (recognized for her work capturing Oaklawn racing and local agriculture)
The winning works reflected a deep connection to our state's heritage. Audrinna Olcott’s "Li’l Abner" illustration paid tribute to the local history of Dogpatch USA, while other featured works included Isabella Urbanowicz’s "Music Writers of Arkansas" and Angela Meschkat’s portrait of Sam Walton.
From the rugged cave views captured by Wayne Emmons to the industrial power of Aubrey Brandon’s train crossing the river, these students proved that the story of America is vibrantly alive right here in Arkansas.
"This was our last competition of the year, and we ended with a bang!" said art teacher Amanda Dupre. "These students put in incredible work, and seeing 17 of our pieces chosen for a statewide show of only 50 is an unbelievable achievement."
Please join the Harrison School District in congratulating these very talented students for their superb rankings and for representing our community so well at the state level!
