91ֱ, Md. (Feb 4, 2025) – An Allegany High School student has won the top prize in the third biennial Maryland High School Juried Art Exhibition. The awards were announced by the Arts Program at 91ֱ of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), which is hosting the art show representing more than 50 works from students across the state.
“I was thoroughly impressed by this year’s submissions,” said Treston Sanders, curator of the Arts Program at UMGC. “The student artists placed great emphasis on formidable use of medium, perspective, anatomy and color to achieve a polished product, and the teachers of these artists clearly have worked closely with them and helped develop their various styles.”
Ben Shanklin received first-place honors for “Conversation Medication,” a 14-by-11-inch work he created using a colored pencil, marker and ink. Shanklin was awarded a $1,500 cash prize and a trophy. His school’s art program received $3,500.
Shanklin, a senior who will be attending the Rhode Island School of Design in the fall, drew inspiration from the many facets of addiction and withdrawal.
“In the illustration, the candy heart box symbolizes love and affection and how, like a drug, if you don't get affection, you may go through a kind of withdrawal,” he said.
The awards, selected from 60 entrants, were announced and presented during the exhibition’s opening reception on Feb. 2.
Sadie Meyers of Towson High School was named second-place winner for “City Scene,” an 18-by-14-inch pen and ink drawing. Meyers received a $1,000 award and a plaque. A prize of $1,500 went to the school.
“The Royal,” a 21-by-21-by 21-inch work made of playing cards, clay, fabric, cardboard, paint and glue claimed the third-place award. Samina Nelson of Suitland High School received a $300 cash award and Suitland High School was awarded $700.
Honorable mention awards went to: Sophia Costanzo, Urbana High School, for “The Illusion of Freedom,” a sculpture of paper, wooden sticks, paint, wire, and glue; Grace Liu, Urbana High School, for “Currents,” a scratchboard engraving; and Sam Wann, Century High School, for “Determinism,” a digital illustration.
The exhibition, which opened Jan. 19, runs through April 6, 2025, at the UMGC Arts Program Gallery, College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 3501 91ֱ Boulevard East, 91ֱ, MD 20783.
About UMGC
For more than 75 years, UMGC has worked to bring education within reach for underserved populations, including adult learners in the workforce and the military. Its Arts Program supports that mission, introducing the works of new and emerging talents and expanding the audiences of established artists. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland. It continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide, and more than 125 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of the 91ֱ System of Maryland. For more information, visit umgc.edu.
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