Thirty-four Mount Pleasant High School Art students entered 51 pieces in the Region 8 Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition on Saturday, February 28 at Chisum High School, competing against a total of 295 pieces. Artwork was scored as a 4 (Excellent), a 3 (Strong), a 2 (Developing), or a 1 (Emerging). Of the 51 pieces entered, 48 MPHS pieces received medals and six students have advanced to state, one with two pieces. Only 22 pieces in the entire region qualified for state so MPHS students made up over 30% of those advancing.

In order to advance to state, the piece must first earn a rating of 4. All of the 4’s in a particular division are then judged a second time and state advancements are awarded based on an allotment, roughly 10% in each division. Earning scores of 4 (Excellent) and moving on to state are sophomore Vanessa Aspeitia with Trisha and One Random in the Fair in Front of the Fireball, sophomore Michelle Garrett with Ximena, senior Jaydy Martinez with Family Gathering, sophomore Kianna Mickens with 2 pieces, Happy Birthday and Pride, senior Dayanara Pulquero with Daya, and senior Cassandra Saavedra with Digression of Youth. This will be Pulquero’s third trip to state and the second for Aspeitia, Garrett, Martinez, and Saavedra.

Gold medalists also earning scores of 4 (Excellent) are Yarely Aguilar, Vanessa Aspeitia (2), Cambria Beard, Elias Bello, Valerie Cassio (2), Ta’nya Dawson, Ailyen De La Rosa (2), Trisha Easley (2), Luis Garcia, Alexsandra Garcia, Michelle Garrett (2), Avery Hale, Evelyn Hernandez (2), Keira Holmes, Jordan Krumrie (2), Jaydy Martinez (2), Abigail Melendez, Mattie Merriman (2), Kianna Mickens (2), Kiara Mickens (2), Valerie Moss (2), Helen Munoz (2), Dayanara Pulquero (2), Heymar Rivera, Peyton Robinson, Cassandra

Saavedra (2), Araceli Salazar (2), Vanessa Sampson, Margarita Sauceda (2), Edwin Valerio, and Gracie Williams.

And earning scores of 3 (Strong) are Zoei Craig, Alexsandra Garcia, and Keyri Perez.

The state Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) competition will be held at San Marcos High School on April 24-25. The MPHS Art program is under the direction of Laura Kirkland.

Photos:

1: MPHS artists at the Region 8 Visual Arts Scholastic Event

2: MPHS State VASE qualifiers (L to R) Cassandra Saavedra, Dayanara Pulquero, Jaydy Martinez, Kianna Mickens, Michelle Garrett, Vanessa Aspeitia

3: Vanessa Aspeitia with her state qualifying piece, Trisha and One Random in the Fair in Front of the Fireball

4: Michelle Garrett with her state qualifying piece, Ximena

5: Jaydy Martinez with her state qualifying piece, Family Gathering

6: Kianna Mickens’ state qualifying piece, Happy Birthday

7: Kianna Mickens’ state qualifying piece, Pride

8: Dayanara Pulquero with her state qualifying piece, Daya

9: Cassandra Saavedra with her state qualifying piece, Digression of Youth