Young artists win awards

Several students from area East Cooper Elementary Schools earned state-level awards for their artistic entries into the National PTA Reflections Program.

In South Carolina, there were 8,218 total submissions at the state level across all grades in all categories. Of 24 possible first-place awards, East Cooper students earned four of them, all at the primary and elementary levels. The art of those four students will go on to the national competition.

In addition to the students in the photograph, several others from Charleston County placed at the state level, all from School of the Arts: Alisa Meyers, second place senior musical composition; Angelica Halvarsson, second place middle visual arts; Eileen Szwast, honorable mention middle visual arts; Hans Turner, honorable mention senior literature. Other area schools with winning artwork include Summerville High School and Fort Dorchester High School.

The National PTA Reflections Program offers students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition. Students in public school attending preschool through grade 12 are encouraged to create and submit works of art in six areas: literature, musical composition, film/video composition, photography, dance choreography and the visual arts, which include such art forms as drawing, painting, print making and collage. Artwork must be submitted through a school with a PTA in good standing.

In its more than 30-year history, the program has encouraged millions of students across the nation and in American schools overseas to create works of art. The Reflections Program was started in 1969 by then Colorado PTA President Mary Lou Anderson.