Sixteen Baldwin artists captured awards in the 46th annual 2009 Hawaii Regional Scholastic Art & Photography Exhibition at the Hawaii State Art Museum on Oahu.

National Gold Key awardees will have their works submitted for the national competition in May. They include senior Chentell Stiritz (sculpture), senior Tionilyn Acain (drawing, painting), junior Alika Bustillos (drawing), senior Jessica Garcia (two drawings, two mixed media), senior Tanner Morrin (drawing), senior Michael Mudrick (printmaking), sophomore Lori Nishikawa (drawing) and junior Tiffany Suh (painting).

Regional Silver Key Awards were earned by Garcia (product design—kite) and Suh (drawing) at the February exhibition.

Six portfolios will be submitted to represent Hawaii at the national competition for scholarship consideration. The two selected from Baldwin were Acain and Garcia.

Garcia was one of two students in the state to receive a $1,000 Tadashi Sato scholarship.

“;It was such a good opportunity for us to get our work out there and to see the works of other students from around the state,”; Stiritz said. “;Looking at all the different styles and different techniques was very inspirational.”;

“;Collectively, our students made an impressive showing this year, and they received a lot of positive comments about their breadth of ideas, technical excellence in their use of a wide range of media, and the high level of their conceptual ideation,”; art teacher Janet Sato said. “;It's really a reflection of their abilities to see, think, create and express both critically and responsively.”;

Garcia, like many other artists, creates art to express her ideas and emotions.

“;Some people have dance; some have writing,”; Garcia said. “;Art is my outlet.”;

Garcia's “;Have Some?”; was created with charcoal, pencil, chalk pastels and colored pencils.

The regional art pieces will be entered into the national scholastic competition, where students may earn additional recognition and awards.