The Prairie Arts Council has awarded prizes in its 2016 Art Scholarship Competition. The winner of the $1,000.00 Scholarship is Savanna Bell, a graduate of Bureau Valley High School. Her high school art teacher was Mrs. Sheila Heth. Bell will attend Illinois Valley Community College this fall, working toward her Bachelor’s degree in Art. The jurors were impressed by her proficiency in a variety of media, and the sense of animation she achieved in many different artistic approaches. The First-Place Runner-Up is Hannah Erickson, a graduate of Princeton High School and student of Mrs. Linda Ribar. She will attend Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, working toward a major in Rhetoric and Media Studies with a minor in Art. Hannah will receive a $200 award. The jurors noted her consistent achievement of excellence in many media, and particularly her creativity and technical excellence in pottery and drawing. Competitors were judged by the submission of original works. These were evaluated by a panel of jurors on the basis of overall quality, involving artistic content, originality, and excellence of execution. Steve Esme, President of the Prairie Arts Council, presented the awards. He said, “The Prairie Arts Council is committed to promoting all the arts in the area, and these two young artists are a fine example of what we are all about.” He added, “The art teachers have brought out the best in these students and they all deserve this recognition.” Competition director N. Dana Collins stated, “The jurors were very impressed by the high level of artistic quality represented in the scholarship applicants. We hope to show their work along with future art scholarship recipients in coming years at the Prairie Art Center. We look forward to showing our community the wonderful efforts of our many outstanding art students.”