The Scholastics Art Show was held Feb. 8 to 13 at Downers Grove North and was a successful and stressful event. The AP Studio Art students had about two weeks to complete five pieces for Scholastics, that needed to be submitted by 11:00 p.m. Jan. 15.

“Scholastics is neat because you learn how to deal with pressure and get things done,” AP Studio Art teacher Patrick Page said. “It’s crazy how something the might’ve taken you months the year before you can now do in a week.”

Out of the 92 portfolio entries, Madeline Bernstein ‘15 received a Gold Key and Molly Miklosz ‘15 received an honorable mention. A gold key is synonymous to first place, silver key to second place, and honorable mention to third. While the shows do not have themes themselves, students portfolios have a common theme or focus area that ties their pieces together.

“I used dry point etchings as my media, focusing on strong contrasts and provocative poses while intertwining a theme of literature and reading,” Bernstein said.

The show received 2744 individual entries from 40 different schools, and is the most competitive art show of the year LT participates in. The entries included different styles such as silk screens, self-portraits, dry points and more. Out of the individual submissions, 13 students earned a Gold Key, eight a Silver Key, and 16 honorable mentions, including many students who won awards in multiple categories.

Dry points were a well liked category this year, unlike silk screens, which many of the AP students submitted, were not very popular with the judges.

“The judging is very selective and its hard to know what category they will like each year,” Page said.

In this class, the students can choose what they would like to submit or create for the show, which can be difficult depending on what pieces they decide to make.

“If you do drawing, its really hard because they all have to be really good, and you could physically have enough drawings, but they have to go together and have a similar approach or idea,” AP Studio Art student Emma Hirt ‘15 said.

Scholastics allows the students to apply the idea they’ve been developing since their junior year in an art form they choose.

“You’re teaching people how to be creative and stage their life by being creative with what works for them,” Page said.