February 6, 2024
By MEALAND RAGLAND-HUDGINS
Rutherford County Schools
Brooklyn Hardymon and Patty Hongsawong of Blackman Middle School are among students from Middle Tennessee to have their artwork on display at the Parthenon in Nashville as part of the Middle Tennessee Regional Student Art Exhibition.
The contest was sponsored by the Tennessee Art Education Association. Selected works from students in grades 6-12 in Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media, Printmaking, Photography, Ceramics, Sculpture and Digital Media will be on display in the Parthenon until March 3.
Hardymon and Hongsawong were among the 600 students from area public, private and home-schools chosen. Both are students of art teacher Deena Cruz.
Judges evaluated the submissions in a blind process and awarded first through third places, as well as honorable mentions in each grade level for each artistic category. Judges also determined overall winners in each category as well as of Best of Show.
Hongsawong, a sixth grader, earned honorable mention for a self-titled drawing of her favorite things, including cats, flowers and books.
“It was our artist research project where artists have to research themselves and illustrate some of their favorite things or biography information about themselves,” Cruz said.
Brooklyn Hardymon, an eighth-grade student, landed honorable mention in the mixed media category. Titled “Stuff,” the piece was created using sheet music and individual fibers while studying assemblages and collage art, Cruz said.
This is the 16th year the Tennessee Art Education Association has held the regional competition and exhibition, and the second year it has been hosted at the Parthenon.