TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hudson High Junior Wins 'Capitol' Art Competition

ADVERTISEMENT

By KLINT LOWRY, The Suncoast News

Published: January 25, 2008

PORT RICHEY - Although Hudson High junior Clint Barga plans a career in art, he hasn't quite reconciled the idea of parting with his creations.

"I usually don't give it away," said Barga, adding that he has even turned down cash offers.

One of his more recent pieces has a found a new home, however, in state Rep. John Legg's Tallahassee office. Barga's entry took first place in the Republican lawmaker's second annual "Art in the Capitol" contest.

"I am sincerely proud of the artistic creativity and talent of these students," Legg, of Port Richey, said in a news release. "The entries we received were incredible and choosing a winner from each school was a difficult task."

The contest was open to west Pasco County students in all grades.

The only stylistic guidelines were that the artwork had to depict a historical fact, event, place or person in Florida and that it include the school symbol or mascot.

Barga's winning entry shows an idyllic setting with animals living among hibiscus shrubs, palms and orange trees. In the background is the space shuttle on its launch pad.

The piece took Barga about a week to do, he said, and is both similar to and different from his previous works.

As usual, Barga created a scene that's not as concerned with realistic space as it is with creating an alternate, dreamlike reality. The work is much brighter and more colorful than he typically produces.

Justine Sams, also from Hudson High, took third place in Legg's contest. She and Barga have been friends since they were 3.

"We've grown up together, so we've influenced each other in our art," she began.

"She does the happy stuff," Barga continued, "and I do more the ..."

"Morbid," Justine finished.

Her entry is an overhead perspective of the Spanish fort at St. Augustine.

Someone who is familiar with the historic structure can see it.

Otherwise it's a curious, abstract shape.

Sams then inlaid images of several Sunshine State icons.

"When I thought of Florida, I thought of Florida panthers, alligators, the shuttle, of course," she said. "I just had fun with it."

Lisa Totolos, a sophomore at Grace Christian School of Pasco, took second place with her rendition of an old-fashioned citrus advertisement, similar to what was attached to orange crates decades ago.

Legislative aide Amanda Stewart said they may want to keep all three artworks to hang in Legg's office.

"We're going to have to take them up there and measure the wall space," she said.

WINNING WORK

Here are the top finishers in state Rep. John Legg's second annual "Art in the Capitol" contest. Each participating school submitted art by three finalists to Legg. He chose the top finishers from each school and the overall winners.

GULF HIGH: Kasse Hays, 12th grade, first place; Kayla Spradling and Nicole Bolchazy, both 10th-graders

DAYSPRING ACADEMY: Lauren Thompson, eighth grade, first place; Alysha Blair, seventh grade; Jake Walker, eighth grade

MITCHELL HIGH: Gabriel Fernandes-DaSilva, 12th grade, first place

TRINITY ELEMENTARY: Evan Waterbor, second grade, first place; Madison Schaefer and Brianna Jordan, both fifth-graders

GENESIS SCHOOL EAST: Sierra Ray, fourth grade, first place; Elisabeth Beam, fifth grade; Jamie Thon, third grade

GENESIS SCHOOL WEST: Paige Gilmar, fifth grade, first place; Leah Hodges, fourth grade; John Martin, third grade

GENESIS PREP SCHOOL: Elise Giordano, first place, and Parsah Razdar, both 11th-graders

GRACE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OF PASCO: Lisa Totolos, 10th grade, first place; Hailee Parks, first grade

HUDSON HIGH: Clint Barga, first place, and Justine Sams, both juniors

OVERALL WINNERS: Clint Barga, first; Lisa Totolos, second; Justine Sams, third

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT