By Nicole Thomas
Planning a visit to the Mississippi Museum of Art? Expect to see a lot of #StarkvilleSpark on display. SHS and AMS students hauled in 13 gold keys in the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. Their original works will be part of an exhibit at the museum opening in February. SHS seniors Carys Snyder and Cat Buffington collected four gold keys each. Carys was also awarded the judges’ highest marks for her drawing, Mr. Kennard, which earned her an American 
Visions nomination.The students’ artwork was selected from more than 2,000 entries recognizing outstanding achievement in the arts.The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards continues to be the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the largest source of scholarships for young artists and writers.The Scholastic Art Exhibition opens February 7 and continues through April 12. Admission is free and open to the public.Here’s a sneak peak of what will be on display along with a complete list of winners:
2015 AMERICAN VISIONS NOMINEES
Starkville High School
1. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Mr. Kennard
2015 GOLD KEY AWARDS
Armstrong Middle School
1. Helen Peng, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Look Again!!
2. Helen Peng, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Mirror Mirror
3. Jasmin Warnock, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Room Of Wonder
Starkville High School
1. Cat Buffington, 12, Lark, Art, Sculpture, The Face of Change
2. Cat Buffington, 12, Lark, Art Portfolio, Reflections of Diversity
3. Cat Buffington, 12, Lark, Art, Sculpture, Underestimated
4. Cat Buffington, 12, Lark, Art, Photography, Untitled
5. Isaiah Knox, 11, Lark, Art, Photography, Painting Between the Lines
6. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art, Drawing and Illustration, What Secret Smiles She Keeps
7. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Another Lost Boy
8. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art, Digital Art, Lost in the Sound of Gold
9. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art Portfolio, Drawing Portfolio
10. Noel Teaster, 12, Lark, Art, Photography, Size Does Not Matter
2015 SILVER KEY AWARDS
Armstrong Middle School
1. Brian Johnson, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Black And White
Starkville High School
1. Cat Buffington, 12, Lark, Art, Drawing and Illustration, Grateful
2. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art, Drawing and Illustration, The Good Prince
3. Carys Snyder, 12, Lark, Art, Photography, The Machine Man
2015 HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS
Armstrong Middle School
1. Alyssa Outlaw, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, My Bad
2. Helen Peng, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, My Bad
3. Mia Robertson, 8, Franklin, Art, Painting, Imagine
4. Jasmin Warnock, 8, Franklin, Art, Drawing and Illustration, My Bad
Starkville High School
1. Cat Buffington, 12, Lark, Art, Sculpture, Hidden Secrets
2. Thomas Pugh, 12, Lark, Art, Photography
Congratulations to our students on this outstanding achievement as visual artists!