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Heidi Wisecarver, fourth grader at Kitty Hawk Elementary, proudly shows off her painted pumpkin and gourd artwork. Summer Stevens photo

Students used a variety of mediums include mixed media, sculpture, drawing, painting, graphic design and photography. Summer Stevens photo

Families and friends gathered to see the artwork of K-12 grade at The Meeting Room at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Summer Stevens photo

Kitty Hawk Elementary students Jax Readman, Luke Casias, and Ruby Readman attended the Dare County Art Show on March 31 at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Summer Stevens photo

Nags Head Elementary fourth grader Roxie Bassi earned one of the Best of Show ribbons for her acrylic piece. Summer Stevens photo

Emeline Salyers of Cape Hatteras Elementary received an honorable mention for her mixed media collage on the Audubon Bird Study project. Summer Stevens photo

Cape Hatteras Elementary art teacher Kristina McEwan combined art and science to create artwork highlighting the birds of North Carolina. Summer Stevens photo

First Flight Senior Kurt Felthousen received an Award of Excellence and a Special Award ribbon for his AP Art pencil drawing. Summer Stevens photo

Best of Show artwork from Kolton Miller of Manteo Middle. Summer Stevens photo

Kitty Hawk Elementary fifth grader Ruby Readman shows off her eye sculpture at the Dare County Art Show reception on March 31. Summer Stevens photo

Families and friends gathered to see the artwork of K-12 grade at The Meeting Room at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Summer Stevens photo

Roanoke Island Festival Park is once again hosting artwork by Dare County K-12 students for the Annual Dare County Schools Art Show.

The show kicked off with an opening reception on Friday evening, March 31 and will continue to run Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the month of April.

Around 500 people attended the opening reception, said Kim Sawyer, executive director at Roanoke Island Festival Park. “That just goes to show how many people are interested in this show,” she said.

This year’s judges were Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight, Assistant Superintendent Steve Blackstock and Catie Spruill, as well as a panel of local artists including Fay Davis Edwards of Water Street Studio, ceramicists Hilda Bayliss and photographer Mike Brisson of Left Field Photography.

There were a variety of mediums used this year including mixed media, paintings, graphic design, drawings, photography and sculptures.

This is the second year that elementary students have been invited to participate in the art show. “I love the fact that you can see the transition from elementary to middle to high,” said Kitty Hawk Elementary art teacher Mari LaRose, who selects students’ best pieces for inclusion in the show. “It makes students feel good to see their artwork displayed – they think, ‘somebody cared enough to pick a piece of artwork to put on the wall so it must be really good.’ I think to be a child in this day and age is really challenging, so if they find an outlet like art that they excel in, it’s just awesome.”

Kristina McEwan, who teaches elementary art at Cape Hatteras, combined her teaching on John Audubon with a science unit about the birds of North Carolina to create beautiful paper collages and ceramic bird baths.

“A lot of elementary art is project-based learning,” McEwan said. “In the fourth grade, we study North Carolina, so a lot of the art projects that we do relate to the properties of our state – the history of our state, the natural beauty of our state, the Native Americans of our state, the things that happen in our state.”

Students were proud to see their best work displayed in The Meeting Room in the Administration Room at Festival Park with its vaulted ceilings and seating areas set up like an art gallery.

“We’re really excited that their parents can see their work in a space like this which presents so beautifully,” added McEwan.

“I love how this experience allows for my students, especially the ones that are really into art, to see where they will be if they continue to grow. They can see the middle school and the high school work and they can really understand the journey as an artist that they can take,” she said.

Best of Show winners are Roxie Bassi, Grade 4, Nags Head Elementary; Kolton Miller, Manteo Middle; and Destyn Jakob, Grade 11, Cape Hatteras High.

Art show winners include: Vance Plevyak, Grade 11, First Flight High; Alayna Mooty, Grade 11, First Flight High; Kurt Felthousen, Grade 12, First Flight High; Marin Remige, Grade 12, First Flight High; Timmy Chapman, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Paisley Hemilright, Grade 3, Manteo Elementary; Bella Gonzalez-Sanchez, Grade 4, Nags Head Elementary; Roxie Bassi, Grade 4, Nags Head Elementary; Zachary McMillan, Kindergarten, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Ari Stowe, Grade 7, Cape Hatteras Middle; Destyn Jakob, Grade 11, Cape Hatteras High; Naya Forrest, Grade 2, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Ella Boykin, Grade 5, Manteo Elementary; Cas Creech, Grade 3, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Haley Heard; Grade 10, Manteo High; Walter Ball; Grade 12, First Flight High; Joey Gavetti, Grade 9, Cape Hatteras High; Kimberly Martinez-Morales, Grade 1, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Ava Thach, Grade 5, Nags Head Elementary; Rachel Briglia, Grade 6, First Flight Middle; Taylor Newton, Grade 12, First Flight High; Ella Ogburn, Grade 10, First Flight High; Alaina Bonanni, Grade 9, Cape Hatteras High; Bryanna Midgett, Grade 10, Cape Hatteras High; Will Mangretta; Grade 10, Manteo High; Ani DeSmidt; Grade 11, First Flight High; Lily Roberts, Grade 4, Manteo Elementary; Kevin Oviedo-Flores; Grade 4, Manteo Elementary; Leslie Alvarez-Hernandez; Grade 9; Manteo High; Elise Kingston; Grade 5; Nags Head Elementary; Mason Voellmecke, Grade 1, Kitty Hawk Elementary; Christina O’Neal; Grade 12, Cape Hatteras High; Ceramics 2 Collaborative Tiles, Manteo; Josie Hardt, Grade 4; Kitty Hawk Elementary; Stell McNeil; Grade 4, Kitty Hawk Elementary; Savannah Moore, Grade 10, Cape Hatteras High; Kemp Sumner, Grade 10, First Flight High; Owen Johnson, Grade 4, First Flight Elementary; Emerson Mann, O’Shea Sawyer, Aubrey Phanton, First Flight; Madalyn O’Neal, Grade 8, Manteo Middle; Daisy Brewster, Grade 8, Manteo Middle; Kolten Miller, Manteo Middle; Isla Croswait, Grade 8, Manteo Middle; Savannah Perciful, Grade 8, Manteo Middle; Bryce Owens, Grade 12, First Flight High; Kai Reece, Grade 11, First Flight; Maddie Flynn, Grade 11, Manteo High; Mrs. Lamberg’s 2^nd Grade Class, Manteo Elementary; Koy Williams, Grade 4, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Graham Perrot, Grade 5, Nags Head Elementary; Natalia Buchta, Grade 9, Manteo High; Lily Doyle, First Flight Middle; Ike Vandermyde, First Flight Middle.

Honorable Mentions include: Quinn Cerino, Grade 11, First Flight High School; Carlee Paramore, Manteo High School; Micha Mastro, Grade 2, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Kylee Carter, Grade 10, Manteo High; Ella Krempl, Grade 11, Manteo High; Maya Sturat, Grade 9, Cape Hatteras High; Ben Lashley, Grade 10, First Flight High; Brodhi Blankenship; Kindergarten; Cape Hatteras Elementary; Leah Hewett, Grade 3, Kitty Hawk Elementary; Maggie Miller, Grade 12, Manteo High; Saturn Manning, Grade 12, First Flight High; Nyasia Banks, Grade 7, Manteo Middle; Lindsy Klotz, Grade 12, Manteo High; Emeline Salyers, Grade 4, Cape Hatteras Elementary; Seneca Watts, Grade 5, Nags Head Elementary; Colette Langanke, First Flight Middle; Alison Hernandez, First Flight Middle; Kaitlyn Schwartzenburger, First Flight Middle.

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