photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

LHS Junior Ru Yother working on a ceramic piece on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

After submitting her ceramic art pieces to a regional art competition, Lawrence High School junior Ru Yother was told to check her email for a big surprise.

Her teacher, Emily Markoulatos, told her this and didn’t give her additional details other than, “I’m not going to say anything except for congratulations,” she said.

When Yother finally opened her inbox, she learned that she, along with only five other students in the Midwest region, were nominated for an American Visions Award – one of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, which recognize the best works by young artists and writers for their originality, technical skill and personal voice. Some previous notable winners have included author Stephen King, artist John Currin and sculptor Richard Hunt.

“I was really happy and kind of shocked about it all,” Yother told the Journal-World. “It just kind of feels unreal.”

photo by: Contributed

LHS Junior Ru Yother’s ceramic piece called ‘muti-vocal auspex.’ The artwork received an American Vision Award nomination.

Yother’s piece that received the honor is called “Multi-vocal Auspex,” but she also refers to it as the “blue head.” The ceramic piece has tubes incorporated into it so smoke could wind through it. Markoulatos said a lot of thought and sketching went into this piece.

“She really gets these creative ideas, and I am constantly amazed by what (she’s) producing,” Markoulatos said.

Including Yother, 11 students from LHS – two sophomores, four juniors and five seniors – received awards for their art pieces from the Scholastic Art and Writing awards.

In total, the student artists received 38 awards. Other than Yother’s American Vision Award nomination, the artists were either awarded a Gold Key, meaning their work is in the top 1% of artwork submitted; a Silver Key, placing them in the top 5%; or an honorable mention, the top 15%.

Two of the winners, junior Lola Brown and senior Adele Erickson, have received recognition from another prestigious nationwide program, as well: YoungArts. In December, they were among 800 artists selected from 11,000 applicants to that program, which provides access to mentorship, financial support and professional opportunities. In the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, Brown earned an honorable mention for photography, and Erickson earned two Gold Keys, five Silver Keys and one honorable mention.

photo by: Contributed

A piece called ‘Quiet expression’ by LHS Sophomore Ari Kamat.

The remaining students who received awards were seniors Henry Farthing, Sophia Graves, Conner Rayome and Celeste Stinson; juniors Lily Havener and Simn Robinson; and sophomores Wren Jay and Ari Kamat.

Todd Poteet, an art teacher at LHS, told the Journal-World that Yother’s piece was really amazing and Stinson’s piece “Defiance” was a standout. It depicts three girls in ballet class taking poses in defiance to the instructor, who is the viewer. He also added that Robinson’s photography is unique.

Poteet said that in addition to Yother having a chance to win the national American Visions Award, the students who received Gold and Silver Keys will also be able to compete nationally. If the LHS students win these awards at the national level, they will receive scholarship money.

photo by: Contributed

Art by LHS Senior Celeste Stinson.

High school seniors submitting a portfolio of six works could win a $12,500 scholarship for winning a gold medal or a $2,000 scholarship for a silver medal. Educators can also win $1,000 if their students receive a gold medal for their portfolio, and $250 for a silver medal. There are also numerous other specialized scholarships available for students and teachers through this competition.

“We promote the competition each year, and for our portfolio level students, it’s one of the competitions that we recommend that they participate in,” Poteet said. “… There’s numerous colleges that if you win a gold medal or silver medal nationally, they will give you a full tuition scholarship.”

While Yother has received this highly competitive honor, she said that when it comes to her ceramic pieces, she wants to pursue projects that are bigger than what LHS’ kiln will allow.

photo by: Josie Heimsoth/Journal-World

From left to right, LHS teacher Emily Markoulatos and junior Ru Yother on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

“Everyone’s like, ‘Ru, why do you do stuff so big?’ And this isn’t even close to how big I want to get,” Yother said.

Markoulatos said that after she submitted Yother’s first piece into an art show – a life-sized human torso – she had to buckle it into the front seat of her car.

“She has a really strong imagination,” Markoulatos said. “She’s very creative and always impresses me with her ideas. She wants to challenge herself, always ready to go, and it’s just like the student you want in your class because she doesn’t hold herself back.”

photo by: Contributed

A painting by LHS Senior Adele Erickson.

photo by: Contributed

A jewelry piece by LHS Senior Sophia Graves.

photo by: Contributed

A photo by LHS Junior Simn Robinson.

photo by: Contributed

A photo by LHS Senior Henry Farthing.

photo by: Contributed

A photo by LHS junior Lola Brown.