Celebrate The West

WGA is pleased to announce the winners in the second annual Western Governors’ Association Celebrate the West regional art competition, which challenged high school students to create two-dimensional artwork inspired by their state. 

More than 300 works of art from the 17 WGA member states, as well as from the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam, were entered in the competition sponsored by the Western Governors’ Association.

Holden True Yorgason of Riverton High School in Wyoming took home FirstPlace  ($1,000) for his fused glass piece. Rachel Bai of Texas took second place and won Best of Show ($700), as voted by 2017 Annual Meeting attendees, for her colored pencil drawing. Third place ($300) was awarded to Bryndle Goyins of Arlee High School in Montana for Bear in the Bitterroot, created with wood, a wood burner and watercolor.

You can see all the winning works in the slideshow below, as well as a complete list of winners.

Celebrate the West® is a registered trademark of the Western Governors’ Association.

Here are the winners in the second annual Celebrate the West competition:

• Alaska: Devon Cummiskey, Kodiak High School, Alas'kaam Tingalag (Eyes of Alaska), pencils
• Arizona: Abigail Fowkes, Highland High School, Superstition Museum, digital painting and graphics tablet
• California: Aubree Van Sluytman, Obavan Home School Academy, Kumeyaay Reflection, colored pencils
• Colorado: Isaac Russell, Home School, Cottonwood, acrylic paint
• Guam: Rebecca Amuan, Simon Sanchez High School, Guam and Places to Visit, acrylic paint
• Hawaii: Bridget O'Connor, Mid Pacific High School, Clear Skies, acrylic and pen
• Idaho: J. Reilly Hendrix, Bonneville High School, Evening Ride, oil paint
• Kansas: Abigail Gibbons, Olathe Northwest High School, Kansas Sunsets, colored pencils
• Montana: Bryndle Goyins, Arlee High School, Bear in the Bitterroot, wood/wood burner/watercolor
• Nebraska: Anastasia Sousek, Bishop Neumann High School, Nebraska in the Eyes of a Farmer, graphite pencil and prismacolor
• Nevada: Madison Alldridge, Chaparral High School, Nevada Dusk, acrylic paint
• New Mexico: Skyler Valdez, Saint Pius X High School, La Virgen Maria, natural pigment watercolor
• North Dakota: Emily Alt, Beulah High School, Barefoot Bluejean, acrylic paint
• Northern Mariana Islands: Bradley Santos, Kagman High School, Free Flowing Waterfalls, linoleum carving
• Oklahoma: Bethany Niles, Fairview High School, Tradition versus Modern, Prismacolor colored pencils
• Oregon: Salus True, Ashland High School, Perpetual, acrylic paint
• South Dakota: Mikki Brian, Harrisburg High School, Golden Sky, oil paint
• Texas: Rachel Bai, Obra D. Tompkins High School, Steady Steed, colored pencils
• Utah: Amber Healey, Weber High School, Western Grit, acrylic paint
• Washington: Rebecca Lawrence, Kettle Falls High School, The Four Horsemen, oil paints and pen and ink
• Wyoming: Holden True Yorgason, Riverton High School, Grandpa on His Ass, fused glass

See the 2016 winners