BHS Celebrates Two Scholastic Art National Winners!

The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers released the national results of the 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in June. Dylan Psenka (entering grade 12) earned a national Silver medal award for a mixed media sculpture called "Error - Love Not Found." Ashley Shulkin (entering grade 10) won a national Gold medal for the photograph "Silenced By Royalty." Congratulations to Dylan Psenka and Ashley Shulkin on these prestigious national awards!

It is extremely rare for a 9th grade student to earn a national award, especially a Gold medal. According to Shulkin’s teacher, Barb Brownson, "From the moment I saw Ashley's portrait assignment, I knew that there was something special in her photographs. She captured the true essence of her model." Shulkin expressed, “This was a huge accomplishment for me as well as a complete surprise. When I had first created the photo, my photography teacher had suggested I submit it to Scholastic along with a collection of my other photographs. I am so glad I did, because I ended up winning six different honors for my photos. This photo in particular was a favorite of mine. It was created to represent the limits people with power or influence have when it comes to speaking an opinion, particularly an opinion that might be controversial or one that isn’t shared by many others. I am extremely happy that I was able to share these different messages with both the Scholastic team and others. I hope to continue my artistic journey in photography and continue to be inspired by the world around me!”

Psenka shared that “Error - Love Not Found” “was inspired off a poem written by a student in a BHHS creative writing class. The assignment was to create artwork off a poem, and my poem was all about love, and the different intricate systems that make up love. This poem really resonated with me, and as soon as I read it I had so many ideas. I thrifted a bunch of vintage appliances and old games and took them apart and put them back together to give off the “steampunk” aesthetic. I then experimented with spray paint using different techniques to spray to make it look like the light was illuminating off the heart, via Mr. Beauchamp's advice. Scholastic has been such a great opportunity for me and has given me so much more confidence in not just my art, but me as an artist. I remember being a kid and all I wanted to do was to read the Scholastic magazines. It’s so cool and such a full circle moment to be a part of this organization. I'm so thankful for being able to grow up in this district with such great and supportive art teachers who have given me access to every resource I could ever need.”

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is presented by The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. Since 1923, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has encouraged more than 13 million students, recognized more than 2.5 million young artists and writers, and distributed more than $25 million in awards and scholarships. This year, the Alliance and its 81 regional affiliates reviewed more than 110,000 submissions of art and writing by creative teenagers from across the country. Approximately 1,000 young artists and writers earned national recognition placing them among the top 7% of all participants.

The Gold Medal Portfolio Award recipients were honored at a virtual celebration hosted on Wednesday, June 26, 2024.