SOU Pre-College Programs' regional art show, Best of the Best, offers an opportunity for outstanding high school art students to: display their work in a professional setting, be recognized for their talent, and gain practical exposure to visual arts as a potential career and college pathway.
BEST OF THE BEST 2023
Two ways to view Best of the Best 2023:
In Person April 7- 26 : https://www.gpmuseum.com/
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestofthebestartshow_23/
This year's participating schools:
Armadillo Technical Institute
Ashland High School
Crater Renaissance Academy
Eagle Point High School
Grants Pass High School
Hidden Valley High School
Illinois Valley High School
North Medford High School
North Valley High School
Phoenix High School
Rogue River High School
South Medford High School
St Mary's High School
About Best of the Best:
At the beginning of each school year, local area high schools in Jackson and Josephine county are invited to participate in this event. Participating art instructors choose student work that represents the very best of what has been created in their art classroom that year for participation in the exhibition and seminar day.
The physical exhibition rotates locations annually, cycling between the Center for Visual Arts galleries at SOU, Rogue Gallery & Art Center, and Grants Pass Museum of Art.
Exhibiting students and their art teachers are also invited to attend a day-long seminar on SOU campus where they will attend visual arts workshops in the campus art studios, an emerging guest artist's talk about their educational experience, career, and work, tour the current exhibition at the Schneider Museum of Art, and socialize with other talented art students during a pizza lunch hosted by Oregon Center for the Arts.
Recognition of Excellence prizes are awarded to the top pieces selected by a panel of judges. All the students receive a participation certificate and the opportunity to list this special recognition on future resumes, college and art school applications, & scholarship applications.
Seminar Day 2023:
Congratulations to the students whose Best of the Best 2023 submissions who were selected by our panel of judges for "Recognition of Excellence":
Brisa Bauer Phoenix High School
Wade Benette Ashland High School
Madison Bingham Rogue River High School
Naomi DeRosier Grants Pass High School
Sol Fentress Ashland High School
Angela Jimenez Eagle Point High School
Cali Lees Phoenix High School
Kelsea McCoy South Medford High School
Baylee Mullen Eagle Point High School
Brooke Nix South Medford High School
Billy Salas-Escalante Eagle Point High School
Sarah Marie Spalletta Hidden Valley High School
Avi Vanwettering Crater Point High School
Greyson Vasquez Ashland High School
Nora Wardle Rogue River High School
To all the students who participated this year, we say: "Well Done!" We're so happy you chose to join us for this tremendous exhibition and an engaging seminar day.
Archive of Past Best of the Best Shows:
BEST OF THE BEST 2022
Three ways to view Best of the Best 2022:
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Video: https://youtu.be/S6TDMeNVBUU
In-Person: https://sou.edu/academics/art/galleries/
Congratulations to our 2022 "Best of Show" winners:
Jesse Campbell of Grants Pass High School
Kelsey Hawkings of North Valley High School
Jasmine Rands of North Medford High School
Gillian Powell of Ashland High School
Ana-Marie Rowley of Hidden Valley High School
Camden Todd of Logos Charter School
Leydi Ramirez of Phoenix High School
2021 Best of the Best Virtual Art Show
Virtually the Best! is a curated 20-minute video exhibition of the student artwork.Special thanks to Kimbra LeCornu for her inspired technical skill creating this video.
Each year SOU Youth Programs coordinates the Best of the Best Student Art Show, offering talented high school art students an opportunity to display their work in a professional setting.
We are happy to announce that the annual Best of the Best Student Art Show will be hosted at the Rogue Gallery & Art Center from Friday, April 16 through Friday, April 30, 2021. Because they are an Art Center as well as a gallery, they are open to the public for in-person visitation with modified rules to abide by state COVID-19 regulations. Please visit the gallery’s website for information on hours of operation.
We are delighted that despite the difficulties faced this year by our high school art teachers and their students that so many have continued following their passion in creating insightful and beautiful artwork to share. Thanks to the efforts of many individuals there is now an opportunity to acknowledge the time, effort, and great talent that students from our region have put into their artwork.
