A pair of incoming Mercer Island High School juniors were amongst the plethora of artists taking top honors at the 2022 Mercer Island Visual Arts League (MIVAL) Junior Art Show.

Ava Yeh won the President’s Award for her 2D acrylic-on-canvas painting, “A Summer Resolution,” and Kindred McQueen placed first in the grades 9-12 2D Art category for “a light,” which was drawn in white charcoal on black paper.

“I’m super honored and it’s just really amazing that I have this opportunity to exhibit my art and have it at the gallery,” said Yeh, who also placed second for her charcoal piece, “Slumber,” in the 9-12 2D Art category.

Both pieces came to life from referencing images she was drawn to while flipping through a family photo album. The acrylic painting features Yeh and one of her childhood friends eating Popsicles when they were younger, and the artist incorporated masks to bring it into today’s world.

“I thought that the picture had such a nostalgic feel and I just really liked the composition and lighting of it so I decided to paint it,” said Yeh, adding that the charcoal piece spotlights one of her cousins stretched out on a beanbag chair. She feels the shadows and highlights pop in black-and-white form.

Yeh won a gold medal for “Slumber” in the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

“I just like the atmosphere of both of them. I’m really inspired by childhood photos and I think it really brings out nostalgic feelings,” said Yeh, who has been involved with art for most of her childhood and recently placed some of her small sketches in the Little Free Art Gallery on the Island’s First Hill at the corner of 74th Avenue Southeast and Southeast 29th Street.

Kindred McQueen placed first in the grades 9-12 2D Art category for “a light” at the 48th annual Mercer Island Visual Arts League Junior Art Show at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. Courtesy photo

McQueen initially submitted “a light” for a class art assignment and eventually moved it into the MIVAL art show realm. The piece features model Giannina Oteto in a photograph snapped by Gregory Prescott.

Using negative space and straying from the usual black charcoal on white paper, the portrait artist searched for a photo that had copious stark contrasts.

“It was one of the most fun pieces I’ve ever done. I really do enjoy doing it the other way around. I like highlights, it makes things so much more interesting to build upwards instead of what kind of feels like trying to set everything inwards,” McQueen explained.

While McQueen is proud of her winning piece, she appreciates the talent and skills that the other artists bring to the table at shows. She began her art journey in kindergarten or first grade and sees art as a way to process what’s in her head and bring it into existence.

“I just like when you look at a piece of art and you can understand the feeling that it conveys. Like a scene or a memory, that in your own way, it reminds you of something that you’ve been through or something you’ve seen,” McQueen said.

The 48th annual MIVAL show featured 36 entrants in grades K-12 and will run through Sept. 9 at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center (MICEC), 8236 SE 24th St.

“We are grateful to be able to partner with MICEC as we come out of the pandemic and hope to fill the walls with our young people’s vibrant art,” reads a MIVAL event notice.

OTHER WINNERS

K-2 2D Art

First: Owen Roeter, “Warm House”

First Digital: Blaire Wang, “What’s What”

3-5 2D Art

First: Hannah Fong, “Library Dragons”

First Digital: Sara DeStwolinski, “Spectral”

3-5 3D Art

First: Hannah Fong, “Mythical Creatures”

6-8 2D Art

First: Nolan Fujii, “Midnight Snack”

6-8 3D Art

First: Isabelle Anderson, “Apple”

First Digital: Angie Wang, “Satisfied”

9-12 2D Art

First Photo/Digital: Maria Zhang, “Culture”

9-12 3D Art

First: Alex Fuehne, “Shining Sun on Us”

Special Awards

Whitaker Family Award: Callie Baumgarten, “Colors”

June Lindsay Award: Amelie Pfleeger, “Sun Cat Family”

Jean Jack Memorial Award: Isabelle Anderson, “Sunset”

Jean Jack Memorial Award: Emma Jing, “Sailing”

Rose Preston Award: Henry Kaarbo, “Self Portrait”

Rose Preston Award: Edi ML Wang, “Expectations vs Reality”

A group of winners gather at the 48th annual Mercer Island Visual Arts League Junior Art Show at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center. Courtesy photo