2022 MAEA Recognitions Exhibit

Davis Publications Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Oliver Ames High School

Student Name: Abigail DeFrancesco
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: I Don’t Wanna Grow Up is a drawing of a young girl preparing to give away her childhood bike. It displays the girl’s sorrow as she holds her training wheel in one hand and attaches a “free” sign with the other. Using sharp pencils to create the intricate wood grain and hair, and soft shading of the arms and dress, I was able to produce the realism that brings this story to life.

MAEA BIPOC Student Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Weston high school

Student Name: Eunice Lee
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: In "Glass Ceiling," I discuss the challenges of the feminist movement. With women receiving unprecedented representation, it appears as though we have finally gained equality after a long, heavily-patriarchal history of oppression. However, current issues such as fetishization and the continued violence against women call into question just how much progress has been made.

Hat Sister Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Wayland High School

Student Name: Dora Chen
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: Xianyu is based on my Chinese name, a part of a Chinese proverb that states there's no use in admiring a fish on the bank of a river. You need to weave a net to earn it. The red fish represent my ideas and ambitions that I reach out to acquire. The monochrome background and bright fish show that no matter how muddied my experiences may get, my passions will always be clear to me.

Virginia M. Diani Adams Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Oliver Ames High School

Student Name: Jennifer Buche
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: Depicting myself preparing a school lunch late at night, Midnight Routine displays the time between school days. Emphasized by the otherwise neutral kitchen setting, I illuminated the food products using glazes of saturated oil paint. Though making lunch is the last thing to do before going to bed, it is also a reminder of the next day’s alarm.

Sargent Art Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Oliver Ames High School

Student Name: Abigail Hagerty
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: Mask Break is a drawing of a picnic during Covid times. It portrays the extent and impact of the pandemic on our everyday lives through the crumpled mask in the foreground. I used different values of charcoal to capture each wrinkle and fold of the mask as well as display the reflective qualities and texture of the snack bag and iced tea can.

Art for All Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Wayland High School

Student Name: Megan Chau
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: I used a combination of materials, including watercolors, graphite, and color pencils, to create this piece. I was inspired by my experience as a quiet child, when my peers would often comment on my taciturnity. In particular, one of my teachers once told me that I reminded them of a cat. I wanted to convey how one’s identity can be distorted by the perception of others.

Art for All Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Oliver Ames High School

Student Name: Sarah Cathie
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: Stress is an expressive charcoal drawing portraying the pressure students deal with throughout the year. It emphasizes how anxiety-filled homework can be; writing and then re-writing, struggling to finish on time, and stressing about the grade. The intense contrast in this composition is a dramatic effect intended to emphasize the frustration students experience.

Art for All Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Billerica Memorial High School

Student Name: Kayla Lavoie
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: This is a self-portrait recreated as accurately as possible using colored pencils with the exception of the mask and background. I chose to put a pattern that looks like waves at night on my mask because it reminds me of my dad, who passed. Some of my clearest memories of him were on the beach. The background was created with sunbeams in mind and the teal base has a similar watery effect.

Blick Art Supplies Gift Card
Organization or School Affiliation: Weston high school

Student Name: Natalie Zhang
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: My Asian-themed app icon pack is designed for those who would like to have an aesthetic but also meaningful appearance on their cellphone. Each icon is specifically designed to match the use of the app. For example, Spotify has a pipa, or lute, which is an ancient Chinese instrument. Some other icons include an abacus for the calculator app, a lantern for the flashlight app, a paper crane.

Blick Art Supplies Gift Card
Organization or School Affiliation: Wayland High School

Student Name: Skylar Gould
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: With this piece, I wanted to convey the beauty found in mundane everyday actions. I chose hanging up a shirt because laundry is an activity I enjoy and see as a form of self care, despite it being considered a chore. Additionally, I used an accordion book to present my prints to convey repetition and fluidity within daily routines. I have always loved to create art with linoleum block printmaking,

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Whitman-Hanson Regional High School

Student Name: Connor Gouthro
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: Looking Back is a pointillism self-portrait, created to try and build a connection between myself and the viewer by looking directly back at them, as well as reflect back on how I view myself. The primary materials used are a black ink pen and a lot of patience.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Franklin High School

Student Name: Katelyn Sawyer
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: This sculpture was made in raku clay because I wanted to explore copper glazes and smokey surfaces that only raku has to offer. This piece was influenced by my interest in the medical field and the profound effect that medical professionals have on everyday people. These hands are meant to represent a medical professional healing a patient who is having an issue with their heart.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Franklin High School

Student Name: Emma Levine
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: I wanted to capture the seriousness of this period in my life as I shift into adulthood so I created this high contrast self-portrait. The intensity of my gaze, the dramatic lighting, the use of light and dark colors are all representative of this uncertain and intimidating time I am living through. As I look into the abyss in this self-portrait, I struggle to understand the current moment.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Wayland High School

Student Name: Nadia Calder
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: In this painting, I used acrylic paint to illustrate children’s clothes hanging from a clothing line. The nostalgia of the vibrant, lively pattern of kid’s clothes drew me to this image. The fun challenge posed by the shadows and angles of the clothing further inspired this painting. I also wanted to experiment with color in this piece and used especially rich hues in my portrayal.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: falmouth high school

Student Name: Madeline Sabens
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: On my saggar vessels, I decided to write positive things on one and negative things on the other, I wrote personal things and world events. I made each vessel a certain shape so that they could fit together, kind of like a puzzle piece. I did this to show how we had to work with both the positive and negative things of 2021 and how it shaped our daily lives.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Medfield High School

Student Name: Yukiho Yoshida
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: When I was a young child, I hated my Japanese cultural background because it made me stand out from others. Looking back now, I hated how I thought at that age because I have realized that my culture is what makes me the person that I am. These two representations of hate are symbolized by the Japanese character for "hate" pasted over a portrait of my young self.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Fairhaven High School

Student Name: Carlie Francis
Grade: Grade 9
Artist Statement: When people view this piece of artwork I want them to really see the message as someone feeling trapped mentally due to the fact he feels like he has no one to talk to. As the tension and anger builds up in the mind of the subject it is portrayed through someone drowning. As more problems begin to occur he can no longer take the pressure of it and that is why he feels overwhelmed.

MAEA Art Educator Award
Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Sophia Philip
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: When I was walking over to take care of my neighbors’ chickens, I saw two rabbits poking their noses through the wire before running off. Inspired by this, I drew a scene of two bunnies and a chicken dressed up for Sunday tea and gossip. I chose to use alcohol markers and contrasting warm and cool colors to make the piece pop, and I combined aspects from both animals in the frame to fit the theme.

Davis Publications: Ceramics
Organization or School Affiliation: Franklin High School

Student Name: Emily Cesa
Grade: Grade 12
Artist Statement: As long as I can remember, my emotions come to me in different phases and at select moments in my life I find myself decaying into a state of depression. In this piece titled Intrusion, I have channeled these feelings of anxiety into my artwork by making a figurative sculpture that expresses my emotions through the invasive nature of trees.

Davis Publications: Digital/Graphic Design
Organization or School Affiliation: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School

Student Name: Carolyn Orcutt
Grade: Grade 11
Artist Statement: Made up of pencil sketches, digital layers, and excerpts. The text is from "A Little Life." I chose this because the book resonated with me and describes what I try to show with my art. The elements included related to the context of the book and created a cohesive message on self-worth and relationships, showing how growing comfortable with yourself provides comfort in relationships.