Rachel Beeler, Isabella Lee King, Savannah Lilich, Julia Montgomery, Braulio Navarro, Cody Peters, Aliah Price and Hannah Schafer advanced to and competed in the area level of the Visual Arts School Event (VASE) competition. Students could create up to two artworks. 

“Lindale typically advances between 50-60% of our works to the Area level,” VASE coordinator Rebecca Harrison said. “We have competed for every year for at least the past 10 years and have advanced students to the state level quite often, on average six times in the past.”

The basic format of the contest consists of a regional, area and state level competition. This year all levels but state have been held virtually. Students take a few months to prepare and complete their work before writing a reflection of the piece submitted. 

“The experience overall was different this year because everything was virtual,” junior Cody Peters said. “When the competition was in person we would be individually interviewed about our works, but the shift to virtual coincided with filling out online forms that explain our work and the processes and meanings behind our pieces.”

Since the event is a broad art competition, students could compete with different styles of art and still advance both of their pieces. These styles range from sculpting to photography, and regardless of the content, students end the season after consideration of advancement to the state level. 

“I am very proud of our students,” Harrison said. “There is a little bit of joy and sadness at the end of another VASE season! They all did a great job and overcame all sorts of new obstacles.”