STUDENT ART CONTEST
9th ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ART CONTEST & EXHIBITION
Exhibit opens March 24, 2025
Gallery and Reception Event graciously hosted by our friends and supporters
at Sunset Hill Jewelers & Fine Arts Gallery
For almost a decade, DVCCC has engaged with and highlighted the talent of young artists through holding a competition open to all high school students in Chester County.
We believe that art can be a powerful medium for raising awareness, inspiring hope, and advocating for change. We invite you to channel your creativity to address the pressing issue of domestic violence.
Event awards sponsored by our friends and partners with
the National Arts Program and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office
2024 Contest Winners
For the 8th year, DVCCC proudly highlighted the talent of young artists from across Chester County. Students entered our contest from schools across Chester County, with 44 pieces featured in a week-long gallery event at Sunset Hill Jewelers and Fine Arts Galley entered by student artists from Bishop Shanahan High School, B. Reed Henderson High School, Villa Maria Academy High School, Unionville High School, Octorara High School, Coatesville Area Senior High School, PA Cyber Charter School and more!
First Place: “Dead Silence” by Alitza Zavala-Duran (Avon Grove Charter School)
Second Place: “Still in Shock” by Lydia Ridderhoff (Octorara Senior High School)
Third Place: “Flights of Hope” by Kasturi Kurwalkar (Henderson High School)
Over 490 online votes and 87 in person votes were cast and it was quite a contest, but our People’s Choice award winner is “Identity” by Analie Hoegstedt (Henderson High School)
Honorable Mentions were also awarded to:
“Ray of Hope” by Caroline Naughton (Villa Maria Academy High School)
“Canary” by Alexis Pepple (Coatesville Area Senior High School)
“Identity” by Analie Hoegstedt (Henderson High School)
Despite the diversity of styles, mediums, and perspectives represented in this gallery, each individual piece came together to form a cohesive narrative of strength, resilience, and unity – and there was an undeniable thread that binds them all together—the unwavering commitment to shining a light on the issue of domestic violence and standing in solidarity with survivors. We are so proud to have shared this event and learned about the inspiration and insight behind each artistic expression.
Thank you to our award sponsors and supporters, National Arts Program, to our amazing host who helped put together this entire show, Sandy Riper, our judges, Victoria Browning Wyeth, Jackie Szafara, Dane Tilghman, Veena Loftus, and Gary Altoonian, and to all of our DVCCC volunteers who made this event possible (and thank you to Altoonian Photography for these wonderful photos).
A Look at Previous Year’s Shows
Special thanks to our long-time sponsors & supporters of this event, the National Arts Program and the Chester County Art Association and an extra special thanks to this year’s event host, the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce.
