By Gabby Sahm

Staff Writer

Most students start out their doodling on notes or making little sketches on paper when the teacher is talking. Many of them do not think much of it, but some students discover that they have a natural talent for art. The Texas Art Education Association is taking special appreciation for these gifted young artists.

Coppell High School freshman Kristin Boyer and senior Yvonne Hyun Kim were named State Youth Month Art winners by the Texas Art Education Association. Their artwork will be on display in state Capital for the month of March in honor of National Art History Month. The exhibition will feature 100 works from students all across Texas.

Kim piece that was pick by the TAEA was a alphonse mucha painting that depicted one of her friends listening to music on her headphones. Alphonse mucha style is the process of twisting flowers and hair motifs together. Boyer’s painting was a camera drawn in contour lines.

The Texas Art Education Association is an organization run by Texas art teachers, who host different events and trainings to support the arts and encourage students to excel in the arts. They help run Youth Art Month, which highlights different students from the district and gets their art on display.

Each of the four art teachers at CHS selected up to three pieces of art to send in and be judged. After all 12 artworks are looked at by the district, including art teachers from elementary and middle schools, they pick the best six. From the six pieces chosen, only four go to state and Boyer and Kim were two of the students picked.

Boyer always had an interest in drawing and having her friends in her class was an added bonus for her. Her success has been a huge confidence booster and she hopes it helps her reach new goals in years to come.

“My hopes from this win is to grow and to try and get even better,” Boyer said. “Winning this award means that I have grown in the past four years of being involved in art classes.”

Kim hopes that this award helps in the future as well. Art has always come very natural to her so winning this award helps build her confidence to keep going. She knew from a young age that art was always something she wanted to do.

“I have been doing art for as long as I can remember,” Kim said. “I have drawing ever since I was little.”

Elsa Reynolds, Boyer’s art teacher at CHS, looks at this award as a big opportunity for students to get noticed. She loves that students get to have all their hard work appreciated and put on display in the state capital.

“It is very cool for students to know that other people are looking at their artwork,” Reynolds said. “They can feel like their achieving in art.”

Tamera Westervelt, Kim’s art teacher at CHS, sees many qualities in Kim and the artwork she has been able to accomplish. She is proud of all her students that have been able to win this award, especially Kim.

“She is just an artist all the way through her core,” Westervelt said. “It springs out of her fingertips.”

Now that they have both won the award, they just want to try harder. They want to see how they can go in their art and always be improving. They are taking this award as a push to keep going and try and reach new heights.

“I value more of the personal goals I set for myself instead of the awards I get,” Kim said. “I am always looking for the next thing to do to further herself.”