Shades of green, orange and brown swirled as Jessie Boesiger glazed her ceramic cup before placing it in the kiln.
 
“It’s called the Creepy Cup,” said Boesiger, a junior at Westview High. “Everything I do always has a creepy twist to it, and I thought it would be really cool if I had a mug carved like a pumpkin.”
 
Boesiger’s design earned statewide recognition in this year’s Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She is among more than 550 high school students in Nebraska to earn awards for their submissions in the annual contest. Students submitted artwork in 16 categories, including sculpture, photography, painting, hand drawing, film and animation and complete portfolios. All entries are considered for Gold Key, Silver Key and honorable mention.

“It’s a way for students to communicate and express themselves. They put a lot of personal stories and thoughts into their work,” said Angela Fischer, Omaha Public Schools art teaching and learning consultant. “It’s also an opportunity for teachers to showcase what they’re doing in the classroom.”

Boesiger fell in love with art at a young age. She began by sculpting different faces from clay for her stuffed animals at home and sewing new outfits and accessories to make them more expressive and unique. Now at 16, Boesiger is a Silver Key holder.

“My art is unique to me, and I felt like I needed to share it with other people so they can know who I am,” said Boesiger, who likens the art awards to athletic competitions. “Westview has allowed me to be amazingly creative and show the school I have what it takes.”
At Central High, senior Seanelle Clark received a Gold Key and a Silver Key for two ceramic pieces. She says it’s important that students are offered different opportunities to express their creativity.  
 
“Students need to be heard, and not everyone can do that through words,” said Clark. “This gives the students a chance to express themselves, a space where they feel unrestricted, something where they feel like they are wanted.”
 
The winning pieces are displayed at Omaha Public Schools Teacher Administrative Center through March, alongside art from students throughout Nebraska. Visit our district’s social media pages to view some of this year’s entries.