By Kim McDarison
The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards 2022 National Medalists list was made public in March. Among students chosen for recognition this year are Fort Atkinson High School seniors and twin sisters Jessica and Elee Sharp.
The annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards is the nation’s longest running and most prestigious program for creative teens in grades 7–12, according to a news release announcing the award recipients.
“More than 260,000 works of art and writing were submitted by teens from U.S. territories, Canada, and every state in the nation. Works by 40,000 teens received regional recognition, and nearly 2,000 works earned national awards,” the release stated.
Medalists will be honored Thursday, June 9, at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Successful fundraising activities undertaken recently have made the trip to Carnegie Hall possible for Jessica and Elee, the sisters confirmed Saturday.
About the upcoming trip to Carnegie Hall and the national recognitions, Jessica said, “It feels surreal. I am beyond excited to go to New York with my sister. I am especially grateful to get to be honored at such a special place with my sister by my side.”
Said Elee: “It’s super exciting and I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone else or alone. I think it is amazing that we get this opportunity together.”
Noting the prestige of the honor, Fort Atkinson High School art teacher Angie Szabo wrote in an email: “Jessie Sharp has won a National Gold Medal in Sculpture in the Scholastic Art Awards. There are very few of these given out every year, and very, very few to students in the State of Wisconsin,” and, she noted, it wasn’t Jessie’s first time receiving the award.
“We have never had a National Gold Medal winner prior to Jessie Sharp. She won a gold medal last year as well,” Szabo wrote.
To further compound the excitement, this year, Jessie’s twin sister, Elee, has won a national Silver Award for her art portfolio.
“I’ve never had a student win even at the state level for the portfolio (category). It’s very competitive and typically only given to students from schools that are arts focused,” Szabo noted.
Describing the twins, Szabo wrote that they embodied the word “outstanding.”
“They stand out in all they do,” she said.
Two for two
In describing themselves, the sisters agreed they are uniquely tied and very close, and while, thus far in life, they have arrived at similar conclusions — both, upon graduation from Fort Atkinson High School this year, plan to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison to study studio art — they often process things differently.
A mutual support for one-another has helped them, both as a duo and individually, to fuel growth, they said.
“We do almost everything together,” Jessica said.
The twins, Fort Atkinson natives, are the only siblings in their family.
Between the sisters, there are similarities, Jessica said.
“Our work ethic is very similar; we both work hard to finish everything we start.”
Though, she noted, they sometimes have differing tastes when it comes to food and hobbies.
Jessica, for instance, along with art, likes archery, kayaking, gardening, sewing, and photography.
Elee pointed to archery, community service and kayaking.
Different from her sister, Elee said, “I have more of an interest in music. I play the cello and Jessie is in choir, but isn’t as invested in music as I am. Jess is also a bit more engaged in academics; she is always just a step ahead of me and is always helping me out with school.”
The sisters described their parents, Troy and Renee, as creative, engaged in woodworking and sewing, respectively, and very supportive, encouraging their children to explore and try new things.
Their parents also fostered a path to allow the girls to develop a sense of independence, Jessica said, noting that the sisters were purposefully placed in different classes as elementary school students.
In the early years of their education, each sister described a different relationship with art.
Jessica admitted that she wasn’t as committed to art in her youth. She explored art, but a real love for making art did not develop for her until high school.
Elee said she was engaged with the process as early as elementary school, citing the energy of her teacher, Ms. Gomez, as a contributing factor.
“I really enjoyed all the activities in my art classroom,” Elee said.
Looking back at her own and Jessica’s development, she said: “I think we were both really into it in elementary school, and we felt the same way. In middle school we grew a bit differently: Jess wasn’t so in love with it at the time. When we came to high school, Jess came back and we both became super invested in it. The quality of the classes and the teachers in high school were a big jump — a good jump — which helped to motivate and inspire us.”
While each sister may have found art at a differing pace, they agreed that once they each embraced making art, they found that they inspired one-another and shared ideas, and while they share an enjoyment of similar mediums, Jessica said, she thinks she enjoys working with clay a bit more than her sister, and her sister likes metal and drawing a bit more than she does.
A spirit of collaboration
Between the girls, Jessica said, a spirt of unity and collaboration has developed.
She described the relationship as “more supportive than competitive.”
“We haven’t ever been overly competitive. Instead, if Elee ever wins something, I feel like I have also won, and I am happy for her. We are only competitive over small, meaningless things,” Jessica said.
Elee agreed, noting: “We always feed off of each others energies and we always make art together and along side each other and that leads to inspiration.”
Elee described competition with her sister as more of an act of making comparisons, adding: “that helps us to grow and improve.”
Jessica described the art program at Fort Atkinson High School as being an instrumental part of her development, adding: “The art program in the School District of Fort Atkinson, especially in the high school, is exceptional, and I am glad to have participated in it. At the high school, we have the opportunity to take a wide range of classes that aren’t offered in many schools our size. Not only that, but both teachers here at the high school do a great job of teaching students how to perfect the rules of making art and when to break them.”
She described the importance of art in her life, saying: “To me, art is something that I can put skills from many areas of my life into and produce something tangible and rewarding. Sometimes making art stresses me out, but oftentimes I am beyond happy to eventually see my piece finished.
“Last year, I received a Gold Medal at the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for a ceramic piece titled ‘Snail Teapot.’ The piece was exactly as it sounds, a teapot in the shape of a snail made out of clay. This year, I received another Gold Medal at the National Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for a ceramic piece titled: ‘In and Out.’ This project was a set of five clay luminaries with intricate cutouts and texture. On the luminaries, I attached butterflies that were sculpted and glazed. This piece is my all-time favorite piece because it marks a point where I started to push myself on the size, quality and intricacy of my projects.”
Elee, too, talked about a personal investment in art, saying: “It shows up in everything I do. I can’t help but throw my creativity into everything and it’s because I’m so in love with working with it.”
While Elee described nature as a theme in her art, she said she is more focused on making art as an expression of enjoyment.
Among her favorite pieces, she said in the Mason Farms mosaic.
“I enjoyed the process of making that piece and I’m very proud of how that turned out. This piece won a first place at our recent Badger Conference Art Show,” she said adding that she is also pleased with her portfolio work chosen for recognition by Scholastic.
“It was interesting to see all my necklaces come together, to see my growth and all the things I tried in all my years at FAHS,” she said.
After college, both sisters pointed to a future career in art management, working perhaps in a museum or art gallery.
“My big dream is to eventually own a little shop with my sister on a Main Street in some Wisconsin town where we make and sell our art,” Jessica said.
Fort Atkinson High School seniors, art students and twin sisters Elee, at left, and Jessica Sharp present several of their art pieces. The sisters were chosen this year as National Medalists by the Alliance for Young Artists and Writers and are among recipients of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards who will be honored in June at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Elee is wearing a necklace she made along with four other pieces included within her Silver Award winning art portfolio. Jessica’s Gold Medal award winning entry included five pieces, three of which are shown above. The full piece is titled “In and Out,” and features clay luminaries. Kim McDarison photo.
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