SPA Student Art Contest

SPA’s Student Art Contest aligns the visual arts with SPA’s mainstage programming. Each season, students from the Houston area submit artwork to SPA to compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to have their artwork exhibited around the city.

This year, the 23rd Annual Student Art Contest received over 460 submissions across the Greater Houston area, artwork responding to the theme RESILIENCE, empowering students to reflect on their own strength and use the joy of artmaking as a tool to build self-confidence and peace. Contest judges GONZO247, Jamie Robertson, and Alexis Pye evaluated the artwork and assigned prizes via Zoom in April 2021. Keeping safety in mind, we opted to host our second-ever virtual Awards Ceremony. Join us in honoring this year’s incredible young artists.

Thanks to our partners at MFAH, TX Art Supply, Dick Blick, and Hero Arts for providing Art Contest prize donations.

About this year’s featured judges:

GONZO247 is an award-winning, internationally recognized multidisciplinary artist, ambassador of the visual and cultural arts, and pioneer in the graffiti and street art movement in Houston. He is a leading figure in pioneering the graffiti and street art culture as an energetic underground art movement in Houston.

Jamie Robertson is a visual artist and educator from Houston, Texas. She earned a BA in Art and MFA in Studio Art with a concentration in photography and digital media from the University of Houston. She also holds an MS in Art Therapy from Florida State University. 

Alexis Pye is a painter and educator who is currently working on her MFA at UH and focuses on sharing the realities & experiences of women & people of color. She does mostly figurative work and primarily works with oils. 

Student Winners
Alora Robinson
Amare’on Reyna
Andres Castillo
Areyana Jackson
Arshia Khairul
Audrey Hoang
Audrey Nunez
Blake Love
Brooke Bengel
Chloe Cain
Derrick Huang
Fabian Sanchez
Grace Sowon Park
Grant Tran
Jannat Merchant
Journey Wren
Joy Hyewon Park
Justin Rosales
Kelly Serje
Kennedy Kidd
Kindsey Creel
Luis Garcia
Madison Tran
Mason Cho
Maylin Hernandez
Mery Martinez
Molly Brazzel
Sanaa Elise Giles
Sarai Rivera
Sejun Cho
Serenity Cain
Vanessa Anne DeVries
Yena Cho

Schools Represented
Aldine Senior High School
Alvin Junior High School
Anderson Academy
Arabic Immersion Magnet School
Blanson CTE High School
Brookwood Elementary School
Carter Academy
Carver High School
Davis High School
DeBakey High School
Elkins High School
Elsik High School
Falcon Pass Elementary School
First Colony Middle School
Glenn York Elementary School
Hoffman Middle School
Jersey Village High School
Kujawa Primary 
MacArthur High School
Manvel High School
Outback Expressions
St. Anne Catholic School
St. John Paul Catholic School

Thank You Teachers
Amber Quiroz
Anne Doventry
Birgit Langhammer
Christopher Peel
Cynthia Graff
Dominique Frost
Elliot Chow
Haruko Cho
Helen Lavie
Julie Landry
Kelly Gonzalez
Margie Ellis
Mark Curry 
Mary Catherine Watson
Matthew Kirkpatrick
Meghan Cano
Neda Khan
R.J Christensen
Reema Ghezal
Ronda Stieber
Ruthi Clement
Ryan Morales
Tony McMillian
Victoria Satterwhite
Victoria Sturm
Yvonne Lopez Taylor