ALBANY -- Five Albany High School art students have been recognized in the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, including two students who won "Gold Key" awards.

Ella Rose Avery, a senior, received the Gold Key award for a portfolio she submitted of illustrations tied to song lyrics. She used India ink and a quill to produce the illustrations.

Junior Baily Smith also received a Gold Key for a charcoal drawing, as well as an honorable mention for another submission.

Also being recognized for honorable mention were Natalie Erickson, Quinn Girard and Christine Wang.

The Gold Key winners advance to a further competition where scholarships are available.

"I really like illustrations and I'm definitely inspired by poetry and song lyrics," Avery said. "I was listening to this song Eyes of the World by the Grateful Dead. I was rapidly struck by the lyrics."

Avery's portfolio illustrated "Eyes of the World," Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends," the Flaming Lips "Do You Realize," and Jessica Pratt's "Bushel Hyde."

Avery, who turns 18 this week, has been accepted into the California College of the Arts and is looking to put together the financing to attend. Winning a scholarship would help. She is also considering attending Humboldt State University, where she would major in art and minor in botany.

"I'm also interested in children's books, posters, album covers, graphic novels," she said. "I'm interested in all types of illustration."


Smith is interested in all types of art. He said he did it on and off growing up but once he got to high school, he fell in love with it. He enjoys putting his art up on Instagram at baily.arts.

"I post all of my stuff on there," Smith said. "I've done a lot of digital art on there."

Smith's brother is a skater and the two have created an endeavor marketing grip tape with spray painted stencils on it. They also sell T-shirts and have a hoodie, all designed by Smith. Red Curbs, a skate shop in Fremont, has picked up their line.

Albany High School art teacher Mary Jo Bradley is obviously proud of her students. She has been teaching at Albany for three years and teaching art overall for 13. She said she has never had a Gold Key portfolio winner before.

"Both kids are really driven," Bradley said of Avery and Smith. "They're always producing work. Ella is very diverse. She's interested in doing zines with quirky dark themes. She plays a lot. Then she'll come in with something realistic.

"Bailey right now is into realistic paintings and morphing them in some way. He's constantly in his sketchbook."

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards (www.artandwriting.org) date to 1923. The mission of the New York City-based nonprofit organization is to promote the work of young artists and writers.

"Through the Scholastic Awards, teens in grades seven through 12 from public, private, or home schools can apply in 29 categories of art and writing for their chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited and published," the organization says on its website.

Art winners will have their work shown regionally at museums.

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