Tina Di Vora
The Signal Staff
The University of Houston-Clear Lake hosted the 2009 Visual Art Scholastic Event April 17-18.
VASE is a statewide competition comprised of enrolled high school students grades 9-12 in both private and public school systems. This year, 3,000 students submitted approximately 9,000 pieces of art for judging.
“This venue supports the goal of recognizing the academic and creative achievement of high school students who have excelled in fine arts,” said Sandria Hu, professor of fine arts.
Artworks, which are on display in the Bayou Building, were to be comprised of artwork ranging in different styles from jewelry, sculpture, drawing to print making. Each student was judged on originality, technical expertise, understanding of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and interpretation of the student’s intentions for his or her piece.
There were 60 jurors present at the event who judged the artworks at the competition. The jurors rated the artworks on a scale from 1, being below average, to 4, being a superior rating. Winners of the superior rating received a regional medal and artworks that qualified for state competition will get an area medal.
This year’s invited international component presenter was Bedrich Kocman. Kocman is an assistant professor of art and design at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Czech Republic.
He did a series of workshops on Saturday in silk-screen techniques with VASE students. In workshop, students sketched out a design and cut it out, Kocman then assisted the students with silk-screening their sketches.
“I am glad to be here, this refreshes my mind,” Kocman said. “I hope to show the possibilities [on] silk screening.”
A break from the routine of teaching to his older students in Bohemia, Kocman said this trip for VASE was like a big test for him to see how well he can pass his knowledge of silkscreening technique to the students he will only see for one hour, rather than one semester.
Kocman will also have his Metamorphoses of Print, on display on the second floor of the Bayou Building, Atrium 1.
For more information about VASE, visit their Web site www.taea.org/vase.