Westerville South Senior Aidan Gigas recently received notification that her painting entitled “What Are You Looking At?” has been chosen as a state winner in the 2020 Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition.
Now in its fiftieth year, the exhibition is dedicated to the educational and artistic advancement of talented young people in the state of Ohio. The exhibition is open to students attending any of the 1,112 high schools chartered by the State of Ohio Department of Education, both public and private.
Aidan said her painting was inspired by an activity that involved each person in her class picking a random word out of a hat, researching the chosen phrase, and then drafting a sketch to go along with it. The word she chose was “confused.”
“I painted this as a sophomore in high school when I was just wrapping my head around being artistically inclined,” Aidan explained. “I was a talented dancer, but had never thought about painting before.”
Aidan’s work is one of only 300 winners selected across 12 categories: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Ceramics/Glass, Sculpture/Installation, Jewelry/Enameling, Fibers/Wearable Art, Short Film/Video, Digital Media/Computer Art, Commercial Art, and Mixed Media.
“I want to thank Mrs. Roush, who worked with us year after year to develop not just talent, but also bring joy to all of us,” Aidan added. “I appreciate you, Mrs. Roush, and will remember high school art forever!”
According to the Ohio Governor's Youth Art Exhibition website, the purpose of the exhibition is “to provide all budding young artists of the state with opportunities to advance their talent, whether that be through scholarships or simply experiencing the process of entering their work in a competition. The exhibition is a valuable incentive for our young people; it encourages an appreciation for the arts throughout Ohio and reflects the fine quality of art instruction and talent which exist in our state.”