Smithsonian American Art Museum holds DoDEA art contest

OKINAWA, Japan — The Smithsonian American Art Museum recently selected four DoDEA Pacific art contest winners out of 60 worldwide submissions in the fourth annual DoDEA schools art competition.

DoDEA students and teachers, along with Smithsonian American Art Museum staff, voted on the submissions to select the winners for the elementary (Grades 1-5) and high school (Grades 9-12) levels. Each winner and the two honorable mentions are featured on the museum’s website https://www.flickr.com/photos/americanartmuseum/sets/72157668299195471

Our Graves Are All the Same
GOLD: Kayla Haven
E.J. King High School

I came up with my concept when I heard the title 'Change Over Time'. I immediately knew I wanted to go in an almost literal sense. I wanted to incorporate youth vs. age and with 'time' being a concept, the composition is centered over the top of a pocket watch representing the time that's running out. My concept is loosely based on the famous question of "What does it all mean? What's the point?" 'Our Graves Are All The Same' is representative of our time running out, so don't waste your life, but instead enjoy it.

I draw inspiration from artists I find online, mostly finding inspiration of images with a deeper meaning. I am a fan of realism, but I admire all types of art. I believe art is extremely powerful.

Coin Spin
HONORABLE MENTION: Isaiah Shinnery, Yokota High School

At first I didn't really know what to do or what to take a picture of, and I was desperate for an idea. I sat down to think, took a coin out of my wallet and started playing with it. Then I started taking pictures of the coin spinning, and that's where I got the idea of the coin spin change over time.

For photography, I often think of Steve McCurry for inspiration because of his vibrant and colorful pictures.