Tenth grader Dion Flores recently became the first PCS student to earn a statewide award at the prestigious Scholastic Art Competition, the nation’s leading high school art contest. State-level winners receive either a silver key or a gold key for their work; Flores won gold for his scratchboard piece, “Roar.” He will now move on to the national competition.
Upper School Art Teacher Kelly Stoos was ecstatic at the outcome: “For student winners, this is huge on their resume and expected if they apply to art and design schools,” she said. Moreover, she notes, “from a social justice standpoint, urban schools with predominantly students of color are grossly under-represented on the list of winners. My dream is for our art students to consistently compete at this level. This is a step towards achieving that vision.”
Flores will receive his Gold Key at a special ceremony at Salve Regina University on January 25. His piece will be on exhibition with other winning art from January 20 to February 1at the 2015 Scholastic Art Awards Exhibition at Salve Regina’s Hamilton Gallery. It will also befeatured as part of an art backdrop to the upcoming Rhode Island Youth Philharmonic Orchestra performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. The concert will be held on Sunday, January 18, 3:00–5:00 pm, at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence.
“Roar,” by PCS 10th grader Dion Flores, recently won a gold key at the statewide 2015 Scholastic Art Competition.