AWARDS ACCEPTED … Stryker Junior, Leah Heeres is seen here holding her Silver Key awards which she won from the Scholastic Art Show. Her paintings are on display at the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art. (PHOTOS PROVIDED)
By: Rebecca Miller
Leah Heeres, a rather quiet young artist who is a Junior at Stryker High School, was honored in February for two pieces of art.
Her teacher, Mrs. Laura Moser, had encouraged her to enter in the contest offered by Scholastic Art and Writing/Alliance for Young Artists and Writers.
She entered a still life painting that featured a pretty little parakeet, and a graphic arts poster for Water Pollution Awareness, winning two Silver Key Awards.
During the year when her sister, Anna Heeres, got her gold keys from this contest, Leah was a freshman and got an Honorable Mention, so she was aware of the opportunity.
“That was before COVID so there was a ceremony when we got the awards,” Leah shared. Last year was completely online and this year, even though the art show was available for in person enjoyment, there was no ceremony.
Accompanied by her mom and dad, Dan and Susan Heeres, Anna attended the art show on Sunday, February 20, 2022.
STRYKER STUDENT ARTIST … Leah Heeres is pictured in the hall at Stryker High School with her two entries that got Silver Keys, before they were sent to Ft. Wayne Museum of Art. They were shown during the Scholastic Art Show on February 20, 2022.
She has had items displayed at the school art shows for years, but this was a bigger event for her.
Leah said that there were families there, looking at all the art, whom she assumed were families of the other students who had art on display.
There was an opportunity to get a recording of yourself accepting your award, but Leah shared that being an introvert, she wasn’t interested.
“There was a small room off to the side where you could go up to a podium on a little stage and tell your name, what school you attend and what awards you got from your pieces, and have it recorded. I chose not to do that, as I was very nervous.
There were a lot of people there.” Leah added that even though she did not enjoy being around that many people, she was glad that she went.
Leah tends to keep her artwork in her closet, as she, in her words, “tends to see what should have been different.” She says she is not a perfectionist, but feels she just goes too quickly and doesn’t take the time to make it right when she is painting.
For anyone interested in seeing her work that was not put in her closet, and the work of other Midwest teen artists, the Scholastic Art Show will remain on display at the Ft. Wayne Museum of art through April 9.
As a Junior, she is taking Ceramics this year and it has been fun, but not something she will continue.
She does a lot of pencil drawing and likes to sketch fantasy characters that she has made up in her mind or as she draws them.
Leah says she has no other interests but art. Her favorite class, besides Art, is “probably Anatomy and Physiology, with Mrs. (Megan) Lirot.”
Rebecca can be reached at rebecca@thevillagereporter.com