Carson High School (CHS) Art students earned 84 honors in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. Founded in 1923, the awards program is administered for the Northern Nevada region each year by the Nevada Museum of Art.
Students received 7 Gold Keys, 23 Silver Keys and 53 honorable mentions. All Gold Key works of art advanced to national competition and were exhibited Feb. 14–21 at the Church of Fine Arts building at the University of Nevada, Reno. A slideshow featuring all regional award recipients remains on display at the Nevada Museum of Art through Feb. 28.
The award-winning students are enrolled in fine arts courses taught by CHS educators Alisa Kuniya, Karen McCraw, Adriane Wacker and Matt Theilen.
The community will have an opportunity to view select Scholastic Award-winning artwork at the school’s annual Student Art Expo Reception Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 5-7 p.m., in the Tech Center at Carson High School.
CHS winners of the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Contest include the following.
Gold Key Winners: Madison Crozier (Photography), Gabriella Estrada (Photography), Isabella Hamtak (Photography), Kayla Lewis (Ceramics and Glass), Raymon Owen (Photography), Damian Porter (Photography) and Paris Rangel (Painting).
Silver Key Winners: Jojo Ailes (Sculpture), Alex Breiter (Ceramics and Glass), Karla Brena (Sculpture), Shyanne Casteel (Mixed Media), Sylis Chalmers (Sculpture), Sylis Chalmers (Photography), Sydney Clark (Sculpture), Gabriel Crounk (Photography), Gloria Dooley (Ceramics and Glass), Chelsea Empeno (Painting – 2 Silvers), Owen Gould (Drawing), Lleremy Hernandez (Film and Animation), Elektra Land (Photography), Kayla Lewis (Ceramics and Glass), Kayla Lewis (Sculpture), Lillian Marler (Photography), Raymon Owen (Photography – 3 Silvers), Maria Pimentel (Painting), Mabel Wacker (Ceramics and Glass), Mabel Wacker (Sculpture) and Nevaeh Catano (Photography – 2 Silvers).
Honorable Mention Winners: Jojo Aliles (Sculpture), Evalynn Anrig (Photography), Adolfo Arreola (Sculpture), Fanny Avila (Art Portfolio), Caden Bass (Photography), Eva Bell (Painting), Syllis Chalmers (3 Photographs), Sylis Chalmers (Sculpture), Seth Chalmers (2 Photographs), Chloe Clark (Ceramics and Glass), Chloe Clark (Sculpture), Chloe Clark (Art Portfolio), Ava Clark (Sculpture), Chloe Correlli (Ceramics and Glass), Madison Crozier (Photography), Madison Crozier (Sculpture), Gloria Dooley (Ceramics and Glass), Khia Dunbar (Sculpture), Chelsea Empeno (Painting), Leilani Estrada (Painting), Canyon Frantz (Ceramics and Glass), Emery Giurlani (Sculpture), Lleremy Hernandez (Photography), Emma Hounsell (Drawing), Mary Johnson (Sculpture), Javier Madrid (Drawing), Javier Madrid (Painting), Isiah Marquez (Ceramics and Glass), Kayla Massey (Sculpture), Stephanie Mata (Painting), Daniel Maxfield (Photography), Aldo Montes Gonzales (Mixed Media), Kyra Mulvihill (Painting), Emily Nobel (2 Ceramics and Glass), Elisabeth Nola (Mixed Media), Raymon Owen (Art Portfolio), Allisson Rodriguez (3 Drawings), Jovany Rubio (Ceramics and Glass), Deninsson Ruelas (Sculpture), Annabellen Sanchez (Sculpture), Ethan Suarez (Drawing), Carolyne Vicente Sandoval (Drawing), Mabel Wacker (Ceramics and Glass), Mabel Wacker (Sculpture), Mabel Wacker (Art Portfolio), London Wilson (Painting) and Adam Zoghra-Awali (Photography).
You can view all the winners in the video below:
ABOUT the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in grades 7–12. Presented by the nonprofit organization Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Awards recognize exceptional student talent in 28 categories of art and writing, including painting, photography, poetry, short story, fashion and more. Each year, thousands of students from across the U.S. submit their work to be judged by panels of industry experts, educators and artists.
Notable past winners include Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Lena Dunham and Tschabalala Self, among others. Through scholarships, exhibitions and national recognition, the Awards provide young artists and writers with opportunities to amplify their voices and pursue creative careers. For more information, visit artandwriting.org.
ABOUT Carson City School District
Located in Nevada’s capital, Carson City School District offers public education to approximately 7,300 students throughout Carson City. The district includes 6 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 comprehensive high school. Carson City School District boasts many successes including impressive graduation rates, strict safety measures, programs for gifted students and advanced-placement classes, among several others. For more information, visit carsoncityschools.com.
