Young artists win big at state competition

The artwork of two local students was among just a handful of winners picked from more than 200 entries that came from school districts around the state as part of The Superintendent’s High School Art Show competition.

There were 11 state winners, including CHS seniors Whitney Austin who took home the Washington Art Education Association Tribute Award for her untitled photograph and Kristi Valentine, whose work “Journal of a Most Peculiar Voyage,” was a Jury Choice winner.

For being among the state winners, Austin’s and Valentine’s pieces will be purchased and added to a 36-year collection, which hangs in the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction building in Olympia.

The annual art show is hosted by the OSPI and the WAEA. High school students from all nine of the state’s educational service districts participate each year.

According to Doug Huegli, a teacher at CHS, Camas had five entries in the Education Service District 112 show.

Three of them placed high enough to move on to the state competition.

In addition to the artwork of Austin and Valentine, this also included a piece by CHS junior Eden Ramirez.

The students are part of Huegli’s digital photography class and Rod Raunig’s advanced placement art class.