Now on display in the Burton M. Cross Building

April - May 31, 2024

Each year, the Maine Arts Commission collaborates with arts education organizations and local teachers to highlight exceptional two-dimensional student artwork from across the state. This artwork is proudly displayed at the Burton M. Cross Office Building, located behind the Statehouse, as well as at the Commission's offices near the Blaine House. Don't miss the closing reception on May 31st, where students and their supporters will come together to celebrate their artistic achievements.

Interview with Scholastic Art Award Winner Meredith McGonicle of Traip Academy

INTERVIEW by Martha Piscuskas, Maine Arts Commission Program Director, at the reception after the ME Student Arts Awards Ceremony, attended by over 300 people – students, their families, friends and teachers.  Over 200 student award-winning artworks were on display at the reception at Maine College of Art & Design, the host of the event.   

So please tell me your name.  

My name's Meredith McGonigle and I'm a student at Traip Academy [in Kittery]. I'm so grateful to have this Scholastic Art Awards and I think it's so amazing to have this opportunity and to look at everyone else's pieces. It's getting me really excited and inspiring me to create more pieces and yeah, I'm just like really grateful.  

Tell us about this piece, “Emma”.  

So this one's about my sister. She practically half raised me. We were super close and we spent our childhood over in Europe and I think we got really close through our travels. This one is of her on a study abroad trip. There she fully immersed herself in another culture and got really good at speaking the origin language, which is something that I aspire to do. I really look up to her and I wanted to make a piece just about her in Spain.  

That's wonderful. To teacher: Would you like to introduce yourself and tell us about this event?  

I'm Kim Lightcastle and I am the visual art teacher at Traip Academy. I love this event [ME Scholastic Awards and ME Student Arts Awards]. It's just so fun to see all the student artwork come together and all the material responses, the concepts. I think it's an invaluable experience for the students to see that and for our educators and families. I'm so glad to be here. Thank you.  

Great, great. To Meredith: You also had, what was it, an honorable mention for the Congressional Art Award, [with your piece] “the Hundreds Museum”?  

Oh yes, I got Second Place for that.  

Do you want to talk about that piece?  

With that piece I drew a hundred frames and 20 of them represented really important people in my life.  I took a lot of time to look at lots of different styles and sketch out and try to match up each frame of how I thought of that person, with their personalities or experiences we've had, to really represent that person.  

I'm a very observant person, so the girl in the picture is me stepping back and taking in and appreciating all these people in my life and how I want to take all their best qualities and make them a part of myself. 

Well, thank you both so much for participating in this event. The Scholastic Arts and Writing Awards, the Congressional Awards, and the Maine Excellence in Arts Education Exhibition to be held at the Capitol Complex this spring.

Maine Student Arts Awards

The Maine Student Arts Awards, held on March 16 at Portland Stage Company, celebrated over 200 high school students' achievements in visual arts. Organized by Maine College of Art and Design, the State's two Congressional offices, and the Maine Arts Commission, the event honored gold and silver winners of the National Scholastic Arts & Literary Awards.

Individual students were recognized for their artwork to be displayed in the Maine Excellence in Arts Education Exhibition in Augusta this spring. Notably, one student from each Congressional District will have their work showcased in the U.S. Capitol's Cannon Tunnel for a year.

Presenters included Titi de Baccarat, a Portland artist from Gabon, and Victoria Browning Wyeth, granddaughter of Andrew Wyeth. After the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a reception, viewing artwork displayed at MECA. It was a memorable celebration of Maine's young artistic talent.