gold key winners with their artwork

The Art of Winning - 5 Scholastic Art Show Gold Key Awards

CPS Communications

March 6, 2023

The Art of Winning!  

CHS art program wins the most Scholastic Gold Key Awards in the state. 

A year ago Mrs. Taylor Williams, an art teacher at CHS, made a post on her personal social media page that she was determined to bring Claremore Public Schools to the forefront of competitive art in Oklahoma - and a year later our talented students turned her affirmation into a reality. 

The list of Gold Key award winners, Adele Wilson, Julie Jones, Abril Flores, and Emily Evans, is impressive. They all demonstrated exceptional talent and skill in their respective art forms, and it's thrilling to see them being recognized with such prestigious awards. The fact that they will receive a $2500 scholarship to OSU is also a fantastic reward for their dedication and hard work.

  • Adele Wilson, junior (Studio Art),  2 Gold Keys, 3 Silver Keys, and 1 honorable mention. 
  • Julie Jones, sophomore (Art 2), 1 Gold Key
  • Abril Flores,  sophomore (Art 1), 1 Gold Key
  • Emily Evans, junior (Studio Art), 1 Gold Key and 2 honorable mentions 

It's emboldening to see both the teachers’ and students’ intentional development of their commitment pay off; their intentional strategies to elevate their school to the forefront of competitive art in Oklahoma is truly inspiring. Claremore High School tied for first (along with Edmond Memorial) as the school with the most Gold Keys awarded at the 2023 Scholastic Art show. 

Willams and Mmercer have invested so much time, expertise, and passion into the CHS art program and have completely transformed it into an award-winning program.  Williams humbly stated, “Miss Mercer and I are only just now getting the hang of how to do this crazy, amazing job - and we can only learn more and improve. Days like today are so validating.”

It's also worth acknowledging the students who received honorable mentions or Silver Keys from scholastic: Emily Edwards, Madison Ferrel, Andrew Mcneill, and Rachel Schulze. We are also proud of their achievements, and it's clear that they also have great talent and potential.

It's heartening to see so many schools across Oklahoma taking part in the competition (over 40), and it's a testament to the vibrancy of the state's arts scene. Claremore High School's success in the face of such strong competition is even more impressive.


#CPSZEBRAPRIDE #ArtsInEducation