Draper Visual Arts Foundation is once again sponsoring the Student Art Scholar Competition for local high school seniors. The annual competition began over 20 years ago and serves to promote the development of art talent among local high school students. 

Jean Hendricksen, co-founder and Draper Visual Arts Foundation Board of Trustees member explained, "As a Foundation, we wanted to encourage students to create notable pieces of art, and to help support their dreams of continuing their artistic studies and pursuits."

“We think it is very important in all communities to have fine art in our lives,” added fellow Board of Trustees Terrie Richins. 

The board members sent information about the competition to art teachers in both public and private high schools in the Canyons School District area. The contest is limited to 12th graders only. April 24 is the deadline for submissions.

Interested students are invited to submit up to two works of art for the competition. The entries must be original, framed works of art that are not copies from magazines or other works. The competition has three categories: two-dimensional art works such as paintings, drawings or prints; three-dimensional pieces including woodworking, jewelry, pottery and sculpture; and photography and digital art. Crafts such as knitting, crochet and quilting will not be accepted. 

“We are looking for pieces of art that reflect the unique creative abilities of the artist,” Richins said. “The work of art should reflect the student’s style and ability.” 

Students should submit their works of art at Draper City Hall located at 1020 Pioneer Road. A completed entry form, available on the Draper Visual Arts Foundation website, should accompany each submission.

The student art will be displayed in the foyer of City Hall from April 24 through May 1. 

Jenny Haase, another member of the Board of Trustees said, “We hope that families will come to enjoy the art at their convenience.” City Hall is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

On May 1, a panel of judges comprised of local artists will select the prize winners. An awards ceremony, open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. on that date in the Draper City Council room. Draper Visual Arts Foundation is offering prizes in amounts ranging from $100 to $1,000. 

Past winners of the Art Scholar Competition have gone on to further their education in art on the university level and many are working professionally in the arts. Last year’s Grand Prize winner, Waterford student Lucza Brewer, is pursuing an art degree at UCLA. 

“Winning this award means so much to me,” Brewer wrote in a statement for the foundation. “I feel an immense amount of support from my community here in Draper. I have always felt that art has an unmatched power to communicate emotions in a way that words may not be able to. This is a crazy time for people everywhere in the world, especially youth, so for me to be able to share my voice with my photography is an honor.”

Emily Kennard Dunn, a Jordan High School alum who won the Grand Prize in 2000, graduated from BYU with a BFA in illustration. She then went on to work for Disney Interactive Studios for 10 years. She is currently a board member of Draper Visual Arts Foundation.

Since its founding in 1992, the mission of the foundation is to “conserve, promote and celebrate art in Draper.” The Student Art Scholar Competition is just one way in which Draper Visual Arts Foundation fulfills this mission.

"We are delighted to continue our long-standing tradition of showcasing, encouraging and celebrating promising young artists in our community through this special program," Haase said.

To see pictures of prize-winning works of art from past competitions and download an entry form, visit the Draper Visual Arts Foundation website at www.drapervisualartsfoundation.org. Contact Terrie Richins at [email protected] or 801-651-9523 with questions about the competition.