‘Consume a bunch of art’

Art across mediums from middle and high school students in Kenai, Soldotna, Homer and Seward is showcased this month in the 34th Annual Visual Feast, a juried art show for Kenai Peninsula Borough School District students.

Work submitted from the show is chosen by art teachers, Soldotna High School art teacher Chris Jenness said during the awards ceremony. Each school can only submit a certain number of pieces, meaning even being selected for the show is an honor. Judges Amy Cruz, Daniel Leach and Kaitlin Vadla selected the award-winning pieces.

Chloe Jacko, a SoHi senior, won awards for painting, mixed media and monotone drawing. She said Visual Feast is a chance to see what other students at other schools are working on.

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“Without Visual Feast, I probably wouldn’t know anything that’s going on in other schools,” she said. “Seeing that there is a community out there gives me more hope.”

One might think it’s intimidating to see all the work by all the other talented artists in the district, she said, but instead it’s an opportunity to take in varied works by varied artists from varied schools.

“It’s just feast,” Jacko said. “Consume a bunch of art.”

Rhonnie Lindsay, a SoHi junior, won an award for a color drawing of a nun, titled “Ultraviolence,” tackling concepts of abuse.

“I’ve never been in an art show before,” Lindsay said. “I like looking at everybody’s art and seeing all the different schools and everybody’s different styles of art.”

Best in show for the high school students went to SoHi sophomore Savannah Yeager for “Green Speckled Ocean,” a ceramic sculpture of an octopus. It was displayed Friday next to a similarly octopus-themed sculpture, “Octoparty,” by Kenai Alternative High School sophomore Adelynn DeHoyos.

Yeager said the concept for her sculpture began as simply as observing an octopus design on the shirt worn by her ceramics teacher, Stephanie Cox.

“I just made it,” she said. “It’s really pretty.”

Yeager said she hadn’t expected to receive an award but was touched to be included and recognized alongside so many of her peers.

“So many people have so many talents,” she said. “They show it in their artwork.”

The “Visual Feast” will be available during Kenai Art Center hours, noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, from Friday to April 25.

For more information, find “Kenai Art Center” on Facebook or visit kenaiartcenter.org.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

34th Annual Visual Feast

High School

Painting — 1. Raven Smith, “Ratched,” Soldotna; 2. Chloe Jacko, “There is a light that never goes out, Sol; 3. Chloe Lyon, “Blue Cat,” Seward; HM. Jaydra Flood, Kenai Central

Drawing — 1. Annemarie Lacy, “One Million Hours of My Life,” KCHS; 2. Rhonnie Lindsay, “Ultraviolence,” Sol; 3. Samantha Thompson, “Just Jelly,” Kenai Alternative; HM. Campbell Kincaid, “Bluff Love #2,” Sol

Mixed Media — 1. Chloe Lyon, “White Cat,” Seward; 2. Aili Jensen, “Swept Away,” Homer; 3. Kylee St. Louis-Bush, “Climate Crash,” Sol; HM. Chloe Jacko, “Grotesque Burdens of Oncoming Adulthood,” Sol

Functional Ceramics — 1. Franchesca Wingster, “Tea Set,” KCHS; 2. Kai Bush St. Louis, “Fox Mug,” Sol; 3. Adele Tacey, “Honeycomb Mug,” Sol; HM. Faida Linegar, “Vase” Hom; HM. Kaylauna Gump, “Little Ptarmigan,” KCHS; HM. Kate Cox, “Veronica & Vanessa,” Sol

Open — 1. Ryli Rochford, “Flea Boys,” Sol; 2. Taylor Fallon, “Balance,” KAlt; 3. Jylann Green, “Echos,” KCHS; HM. Lila Drobnick, “Mysteries of the Sea,” KCHS

Sculpture — 1. Patric Wilcox, “Once a Brother,” Sol; 2. Isabella DeRaeve, “Giraffe,” Sol; 3. Sophia Sorrell, “G,” Sol; HM. Kylie Saltzgiver, “By the Sea,” Sol

Photography — 1. Chandler Wolf, “Best Friends,” Nikiski; 2. Lexi Somers, “Autumn Light,” KCHS; 3. Oliver Parrish, “Callin’ My Dogs,” Nik; HM. Kiana Vanlandingham, “Sunset,” KAlt

Sculptural Ceramics — Best of Show. Savannah Yeager, “Green Speckled Ocean,” Sol; 1. Luis Saravia, “Experiment 13,” KCHS; 2. Adelynn DeHoyos, “Octoparty,” KAlt; 3. Abygale Shaeffer, “Namaste,” Sol; HM. Jimena Rodriguez, “Little Nightmares,” Sol

Monotone Drawing — 1. Isla Crouse, “Blue,” KCHS; 2. Chloe Jacko, “Blue Collar Joe,” Sol; 3. Annemarie Lacy, “Mitchell,” KCHS; Cutest of Show. Kentrell Nick, “Spheniscidae,” KAlt; HM. Crystal Maddox, “Blue Jay,” Sew

Watercolor — 1. Violet Williams, “Giddy,” Sol; 2. Elsi Miller, “Emma,” KCHS; 3. Kaylauna Gump, “Scaled Forest,” KCHS; HM. Alisia Elias, “Thoughtful Chewing,” KCHS

Middle School

Open — 1. Sofie DeRaeve, “Bridge,” Skyview; 2. Freya Bartlett, “Sea Witch Spiral Scarf,” Homer; 3. Sophia Herzig, “Chickadee,” Sky; HM. Mary Felt, “Splatter of Love,” Aurora Borealis

Drawing — 1. Teana Cornelius, “Bluethroat,” Hom; 2. Yuki Bacher, “Perched High Above,” Hom; 3. Emilie Hollister, “Florida Sunset,” Kenai; HM. Brooke Radeck, “Bubbles,” Sky

Sculpture — Best of Show. Sienna Smith, “Find Your Perspective,” Sky; 1. Skyla-Jo Thomas, “Robert the Raccoon,” Sky; 2. Kailey Crouse, “If I Were a Tree,” Ken; 3. Madyson Knudsen, “Glass Butterflies,” Ken

Ceramics — 1. Brielle Duncan, “Strawberry,” Sky; 2. Olivia Sheldon, “Kraken Cry,” Sky; 3. Caitlyn Cramer, “Wavy Clay,” Ken; HM. Zury York, “Z’s Barrel Mug,” Aur; HM. Noelle Anding, “Fallen Blues,” Sky

Painting — 1. Aaliyah Howard, “Blueberry Paradise,” Sky; 2. Sasha Adams, “Romantic Sky,” Sky; 3. Addilyn Calderwood, “Salty Snowflakes,” Aur; HM. Naomee Day, “2002,” Ken

Attendees view the 34th Annual Visual Feast Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Juried Student Art Show during an opening reception at the Kenai Art Center in Kenai, Alaska, on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)