From an initial pool of 12,000 works of art, 300 pieces were chosen as winners at the state exhibition in Columbus a few weeks ago. Three John Glenn Students' works were selected as winners, including seniors Shannon Cook for a line self-portrait, Derek Simonette for a thrown ceramic pot and Kristin Wright for a charcoal drawing.

The highest honor is to be selected as part of the top 25 works. Senior Cody Ziler's self-portrait, "Nought More Than I," was chosen as one of the top 25. Ziler will be honored at a brunch prior to the opening of the show.

The exhibition will be on display at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower April 15 - May 17. Hours are 8 a.m. through 5 p.m.

Art teacher Amy Kennedy and his parents will accompany Ziler to the opening.

The Jon Jee is featuring all of the artists whose work made it through regional judging.







Cody Ziler

Q: How were the pieces chosen to be entered into the exhibition?

A: Mrs. Kennedy suggested which of my pieces had the best chance of doing well in the show.

Q: What pieces did you enter?

A: I entered my pastels, self-portrait, a pastel skull, a colored pencil drawing of a puddle and a life-size mixed media project concerning gender.

Q: What is your favorite media to use?

A: Although I enjoy painting, it often proves too time-consuming. Pastels usually give me the most successful results.

Q: Did you submit anything to the Festival of Learning this year? Have you ever entered and/or won anything in the past?

A: I've been involved in the Festival of Learning since my sophomore year and I've always entered an essay and an art piece. This year I've entered an essay and my self-portrait, but because it was selected for the Governor’s Show, I'll have to take my skull in pastels.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your works?

A: A lot of my inspiration comes from my everyday life. It doesn't even have to be important things; even little seemingly arbitrary experiences can have an effect on me.

Q: Do you have any aspirations to continue with art in any way as a career?

A: I don't see ever fully giving up on art in my lifetime. I hope to be a writer, and art in general is something that I can't live without. I definitely see art in my future.

Q: Did you agree with the critiques of your artwork? If you entered more than one piece of artwork, did you agree with the piece of yours that won/advanced?

A: The piece I felt was the strongest was the one chosen to advance. However, I do feel that my pieces that weren't chosen were technically stronger than others that did.

Q: Why did you enter the Governor’s Art Show? Did anyone inspire you to do so?

A: Mrs. Kennedy really wanted all the Art IV students to enter at least one piece, and she had a lot of faith in my self-portrait.

Q: What inspired the piece of artwork that was submitted in the show?

A: My love for reading and writing was something I really wanted to incorporate in my self-portrait. Pastels always evoke expressionistic appeal, and the simple unfinished look is reminiscent of Michelangelo.






Shannon Cook

Q: How were the pieces chosen to be entered into the exhibition?

A: I believe Mrs. Kennedy just had to approve. I never asked her.

Q: Which pieces did you enter?

A: Two blind line contour drawings. This basically means I had to draw a self portrait looking into a mirror rather than my paper, without being able to lift up my pen. The piece that advanced was done with my left hand.

Q: What is your favorite media to use?

A: Pencil or watercolor.

Q: Did you submit anything to the Festival of Learning this year? Have you ever entered and/or won anything in the past?

A: No, unfortunately.

Q: Where do you get your inspiration for your works?

A: I love Eastern art, particularly Asian. The Taiwanese artist Chen Shu Fen does these gorgeous feminine portraits in surreal pastel colors. I aspire to make portraits like hers.

Q: Do you have any aspirations to continue with art in any way as a career?

A: I have since I was young, and I will be fulfilling my dream this fall at Columbus College of Art and Design. I managed to receive a $30,000 scholarship!

Q: Did you agree with the critiques of your artwork? If you entered more than one piece of artwork, did you agree with the piece of yours that advanced?

A: Art is a form of creativity, so I disagree with critiquing it. The only exception is when an artist is trying to capture a style that had already been established, or a certain technique. No art is bad art. It’s all about the judges’ tastes. I personally feel unworthy to have advanced since I spent less than a minute on my piece and wanted to throw it away.

Q: Why did you enter the Governor’s Art Show? Did anyone inspire you to do so?

A: Mrs. Kennedy did everything for me! She entered my blind-line-contour-left-landed-travesty and just look who was proven wrong… me!

Q: What inspired the piece of artwork that was submitted in the show?

A: Mrs. Kennedy told the class what to do, and I followed the directions, basically.






Derek Simonette

Q: How were the pieces chosen to be entered into the exhibition?

A: The ones that I got done.

Q: Which pieces did you enter?

A: Baby pot.

Q: What is your favorite media to use?

A: Clay.

Q: Did you submit anything to the Festival of Learning this year? Have you entered and/or won anything in the past?

A: This year I’m entering my trebuchet.

Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your works?

A: Randomly out of my head and books.

Q: Do you have any aspirations to continue with art in any way as a career?

A: Not as a career, but as a hobby.

Q: Did you agree with the critiques of your artwork? If you entered more than one piece of artwork, did you agree with the piece of yours that won/advanced?

A: I think the pot that went deserved it, but the other ones that didn’t, didn’t.

Q: Why did you enter the Governor’s Art Show? Did anyone inspire you to do so?

A: Special K (Mrs. Kennedy); she facilitated it all.

Q: What inspired the piece of artwork that was submitted in the show?

A: I just wanted to try something small.






Kristin Wright

Q: Which pieces did you enter?

A: I entered two pastel drawings, one charcoal drawing, and one mixed media piece.

Q: What is your favorite media to use?

A: Pastel, charcoal, and ink.

Q: Did you submit anything to the Festival of Learning this year? Have you entered and/or won anything in the past?

A: Yes, I’ve submitted something to the Festival this year, but I haven’t in the past.

Q: Where do you get the inspiration for your works?

A: Everyday items. I draw things from interesting angles with bold lives.

Q: Do you have any aspirations to continue with art in any way as a career?

A: I plan to attend OU in the fall as an art major.

Q: Did you agree with the critiques of your artwork? If you entered more than one piece of artwork, did you agree with the piece of yours that won/advanced?

A: Yes, I agreed with both the critiques of my artwork and the piece that advanced.

Q: Why did you enter the Governor’s Art Show? Did anyone inspire you to do so?

A: I entered it because I was confident in my pieces. They show a lot more maturity than other pieces I have created.

Q: What inspired the piece of artwork that was submitted in the show?

A: I wasn’t really inspired – I just drew it from a different angle than people normally see things.