Pencil + mirror = winner

studentart062: Kern County Fair Children’s Art Contest
Some of the Kern County Fair Children’s Art blue ribbon winners, including (top l to r) Chelsie Ellis (6th grade), Alisa Rinehart (7th grade) and Alberto Gonzales (special education). Bottom row (l to r) Chandler Paul (kindergarten), Melanie Castellanos (preschool), Esther Han (sweepstakes) and Melissa Elizalde (1st grade).
Using only pencils and a mirror, Tevis Junior High eighth-grader Esther Han crafted a realistic, intricately detailed, self-portrait to win the Kern County Fair Children's Art Contest Sweepstakes Trophy. When the announcement came during a Sept. 27 awards ceremony at the fair's Harvest Hall, Han was a little unprepared.

"I didn't even know Mr. Heffernan (her 7th grade art teacher) had entered the picture. So I was really surprised," Han said.

The award honors the best-of-the-best in the annual competition sponsored by the Kern County Superintendent of Schools Office designed to promote and showcase art created by public school children in preschool through eighth grades. Han drew the picture as a seventh-grader. She was very philosophical about the effort it took to turnout her masterpiece.

"It took me about two weeks to complete, using different shades of pencil to draw as I looked at my reflection in a mirror," Han said. "Drawing portraits is hard enough but when you are the subject, it is really difficult because you become more critical. As you look in the mirror, the lighting changes, the angle changes and so does your mood."

First place blue ribbons were awarded in the special education category and in each grade level. The winners were:



Preschool -- Melanie Castellanos, Del Vista School
Special Education -- Alberto Gonzales, Valle Verde Elementary
Kindergarten -- Chandler Paul, Maple School
1st Grade -- Melissa Elizalde, Rio Bravo Elementary
2nd Grade -- Brittnie Colvard, Rio Bravo Elementary
3rd Grade -- Jeremiah Espitia, Maple School
4th Grade -- Natali Beltran, Noble School
5th Grade -- Patricia Martin, Planz Elementary
6th Grade -- Chelsie Ellis, Patriot Elementary
7th Grade -- Alisa Rinehart, Rosedale Middle
8th Grade -- Sarah Berumen, Tevis Junior High

A total of 27 honorable mention ribbons were also awarded.

Kern County Superintendent of Schools' Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator Ed Hughes put the competition in perspective for the young artists in attendance and their families.

"When the competition started back in May, there were about 500 pieces of art from 200 classrooms under consideration," Hughes said. "Teachers submitted the very best one-to-three pieces for the fair judging. So, to simply be on display here is really quite an accomplishment. Since the art is displayed by grade, you can see how students learn from year-to-year and the progress they make. By the time they are in seventh and eighth-grade, it is quite sophisticated."

Judging took place on Sept. 19. Each piece of art had to be original in both color and design. The Fair Children's Art Committee pared the submissions down to the final competitors whose artwork was hung inside Harvest Hall at the fair.



Kern County Fair Student Art Awards

Preschool
1st Place -- Melanie Castellanos, Del Vista Preschool
Honorable Mention -- Luis Castro, Albany Park School

Special Education
1st Place -- Alberto Gonzales, Valle Verde Elementary
Honorable Mention -- Ashley Landcraft, Hart School

Kindergarten
1st Place -- Chandler Paul, Maple School
Honorable Mention -- Morgan Gamboa, Rio Bravo Elementary

1st Grade
1st Place -- Melissa Elizalde, Rio Bravo Elementary
Honorable Mention -- Brandon Todd, Hart School; Isaiah Garcia, Di Giorgio School; Molly Enns, Maple School

2nd Grade
1st Place -- Brittnie Colvard, Rio Bravo Elementary
Honorable Mention -- Makenzie Monroe, Rio Bravo Elementary; Jenna Sanchez, Rio Bravo Elementary; Megan Juarez, Berkshire Elementary

3rd Grade
1st Place -- Jeremiah Espitia, Maple School
Honorable Mention -- Teodora Ungureanu, Almondale Elementary; Meleni Cuevas, Alicante Avenue School; Kaitlyn Jiacoma, Morningside School

4th Grade
1st Place -- Natali Beltran, Noble School
Honorable Mention -- Cindy Montoya, Maple School; Peyton Smith, Almondale Elementary; Georgie DuBoise, Alicante Avenue School

5th Grade
1st Place -- Patricia Martin, Planz Elementary
Honorable Mention -- Brianna Jackson, Eissler School; Brandon Nachor, Almondale Elementary; Breanna Perez, Maple School

6th Grade
1st Place -- Chelsie Ellis, Patriot Elementary
Honorable Mention -- Abel Gonzales, Chavez Elementary; Jasmine Mejorando, Curran Middle; Kayla Moe, Rio Bravo-Greeley School

7th Grade
1st Place -- Alisa Rinehart, Rosedale Middle
Honorable Mention -- Mina Kirkwood, Rosedale Middle; Jackie Powers, Tevis Junior High; Eden Harl, Edison Middle

8th Grade
1st Place -- Sarah Berumen, Tevis Junior High
Honorable Mention -- Andrew DeLeon, Freedom Middle; Ashley Nunn, Rosedale Middle; Adam Aparicio, Stiern Middle

Sweepstakes Winner
Esther Han, Tevis Junior High


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