Four Maui students earn honors in regional art competition

Four Maui students are among the regional winners of the 63rd Annual Hawaiʻi Regional Scholastic Art Awards, securing recognition for creative works ranging from sculpture to mixed media painting.

Organizers from Lexus Hawaiʻi and the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts announced the 427 winners on Thursday. The group was selected from a field of 2,550 submissions across the state.

Keolaonākai‘elua Mather, a 10th-grade student at Hawaiʻi Technology Academy-Maui, earned a Gold Key and an American Visions nomination for the sculpture titled “Wana.”

Kamehameha Schools Maui students also secured multiple honors. Instructor Angie Abe’s students Wiline Puaa, Alohikamahinalani Keahi and Sara Stupplebeen each received Honorable Mention recognition for their respective works in mixed media and painting.

The recognition offers more than just a title. Gold Key recipients like Mather advance to a national competition where they can compete for scholarships and the chance to have their work shown in New York City.

“We were truly inspired by the depth, originality and personal stories reflected in this year’s student artwork,” said Kamakani Konia, foundation Art in Public Places program director. “The Scholastic Art Awards are an opportunity to honor their work while affirming the value of arts education in shaping confident, expressive and engaged young people.”

Statewide, 163 Gold Key winning pieces will be on display at Capitol Modern, the Hawaiʻi State Art Museum, from Feb. 20 through March 21.

Lexus Hawaiʻi also announced the Takumi Award, which includes a $200 cash prize for 20 students who demonstrated exceptional attention to detail. Later this year, two students will be eligible for the Visionary Award, providing a $4,000 scholarship and a $4,000 grant for their school’s art program.

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, established in 1923, is the longest-running recognition program for creative teenagers in the country.