MARION — Four students have been awarded prizes in the Marion Art Center’s ongoing High School art exhibit focusing on covid. 

The center’s exhibition committee based their decisions on the following: skill and technique, overall presentation, creative use of medium, written artist statement and how closely the work aligned with the show’s theme. 

First place went to Emma Zhou of Tabor Academy for her piece “Connections or Lack Thereof.”

“One thing that I struggled with a lot during the pandemic has been connections, and feeling disconnected from my friends and the rest of the world,” Zhou said. “I felt lonely and unable to reach out, and I showed that in this piece.”

The second place prize went to Christopher Knight, a senior at Old Rochester Regional High School, for his pencil drawing “Explosive Expression.” 

“I feel that this piece represents not only the dream of a post-pandemic life, but also the chaos, uncertainty and lack of motivation that the Covid-19 world has induced … the newfound consciousness of the body and the space that you are in,” Knight said. “In this case, the head is also where many spreaders of the virus stem from. I wanted this piece to show both the primal essence of my life and of its recent conflicts.”

Third place was awarded to ORR student Autumn Tilley, for her digital drawing “Traversing the Static.” 

“This drawing shows someone walking on a log over an abyss of confusion and disorder,” Tilley said. “They are on the edge of sanity trying to keep balance as they make their way across the void to a better future.”

Will Stark of ORR received the Purchase Prize award for his piece “Rainbow, a traditional half hull wood carving.” 

“This depiction of the legendary J-class racing yacht … is carved to scale using measurements transferred from blueprints, then cut, scraped and sanded down to final dimension,” he said.

Stark’s wooden wall piece will be featured in the Marion Art Center’s Online Art Auction. 

Bidding for all items in the auction begins on July 28.

You can see all the student works in person in the MAC galleries through April 15, or view the works online at marionartcenter.org/on-exhibit.