Bay Village Schools Superintendent Scot Prebles has turned a corner of the Bay Village Board of Education office into an art gallery, featuring artwork chosen for the Superintendent’s Choice Art Awards.
Supt. Prebles initiated the Superintendent’s Choice Art Awards two years ago during his first year in the district, and continued the newer tradition again this year with the third annual Superintendent’s Choice Art Awards. The art was chosen from the recent Fall District Art Show. The artwork was revealed, and the students and their teachers were recognized during the December 16, 2024, Board of Education Meeting.
Supt. Prebles selects art from the district’s four K-12 buildings. The art is proudly displayed outside of his office for a period of one year. New pieces will again be selected in the fall of 2025.
“We have a tremendous amount of talent here in Bay Village Schools, and this is a wonderful way to showcase that creativity,” said Mr. Prebles. “Tradition is important, and I am delighted to honor our students and this newer tradition in the district’s Central Office. Plus, I get to look at beautiful artwork every time I enter my office.”
Congratulations to the following students and their teachers, who were recognized at the December 16, 2024, Board of Education meeting:
Normandy (above)
Artist: Avery Prendes
Title: Shells
Medium: Oil pastel
Work Completed: 2nd grade (currently a 3rd grader at Westerly Elementary School)
Teacher: Jama Jennings
Background: American artist Georgia O’Keeffe inspired students to look up close to nature. Students practiced drawing shells, leaves and flowers. Then students chose to focus on a few objects, drawing them big, and coloring realistically with oil paste.
Westerly (above)
Artist: Maxfield Krueger
Title: Lucky Elephant
Medium: Crayon and watercolor
Teacher: Debra Sanson
Work Completed: 4th grade (currently a 5th grader at Bay Middle School)
Background: Students centered their artistic creations around the theme “Good Vibes” last school year, and each project was based on celebrating positivity for themselves and the world. Maxfield’s gray elephant is decorated with flowers and stars, with the trunk raised up for good luck while using good craftsmanship.
Bay Middle (above)
Artist: Sawyer Kerns
Title: Nike Cardboard Shoe
Medium: Cardboard
Teacher: Wendy Greg Leininger
Work Completed: 7th grade (currently an 8th grader at Bay Middle School)
Background: This project was a mix of STEM and art. Students had to use geometry and mathematical precision to create their sculpture. The pieces were shapes that had to be planned in two dimensions, with folds and scoring to create the three dimensional forms. Students chose what they wanted to create. Sawyer’s use of details, such as individual stitches, tactile texture and accurate proportions make this piece stand out.
Bay Middle (above)
Artist: Isabella Bruno
Title: Wandering Through the Atmosphere
Medium: Yarn
Teacher: Wendy Fortunato
Work Completed: 8th grade (currently a 9th grader at Bay High School)
Background: This piece of art used a unique material…yarn! Students studied the art styles of Georgia O’Keeffe and Charles Demuth to learn about the Precisionism Art Movement that celebrates the new industrial landscape through a style that emphasizes visual order, clarity and precision. Compositions were often cropped to focus on a particular area. Isabella created a hot air balloon floating over a stylized landscape. The beauty of this piece is the use of colors and composition to transport us to this scene. This piece looks like a painting due to the textural elements caused by the yarn.