Marco Island Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the high school winners of the recent art competition for high school students in Collier County.

This competition recognized and encouraged the artistic talent of artists in grades 9 – 12. Judging was based on an individual art piece for its quality, technique and originality.

The theme, SPACE: The Final Frontier could be interpreted as literally or as abstractly as the artist chose. The judges were professional artists Sandy Moore Howe, Emily James, and Tara O’Neill.

The 2019 Awards

1st Place – $1,000: Laura Albertorio, “Big Dipper,” Gulf Coast High School.

(The Art Department of the 1st Place winner also received $1,000 to support their art programs and the cultivation of future young artists.)

2nd Place – $750: Alexandra Hernandez, “Unforgettable Sight,” Palmetto Ridge High School

3rd Place – $500: Elizabeth Boutet, “Mars Hold’em,” Community School of Naples

Honorable Mention – $100: Noah Garcia, “Future Space Explorer,” Immokalee High School

Honorable Mention – $100: Elena Ramos, “Overactive Imagination,” Palmetto Ridge High School.

Judges Choice

• Sandy Moore Howe: Elyssa Chevalier, “Celestial Awakening,” Palmetto Ridge High School.
• Emily James: Maizie Eckerd, “Looking Beyond,” Palmetto Ridge High School.
• Tara O’Neill: Natalie Leah, “Starlight,” Gulf Coast High School.
• People’s Choice: Ekaterina Burkhanova, “Inter-Dimensional,” Palmetto Ridge High School.