A Gold Medal Portfolio Award is the highest honor students can receive in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Jurors choose portfolios by high school seniors whose works best represent the Scholastic Awards’ judging criteria: originality, skill, and the emergence of a personal vision or voice. These remarkable artists and writers will each receive a $12,500 scholarship.

For the next few weeks, we’ll be profiling the 2024 Gold Medal Portfolio recipients. Next up are Brenna Rusk and Walter Sanmartin.

Brenna Rusk

Harry and Betty Quadracci Art Portfolio Award

The invisible line of sight is defined to be the pathway between an onlooker’s eye to another subject. Guided by a desperate attempt for people to see the systemic toll on my mind, each piece balances between the feelings of welcome and unwelcome. I sought to study myself, noting my emotions in correlation with each work. Within the optics of my emotional venture, the refraction of mood and timing distort the level of surrealism. Juggling between the more realistic world of reaching peers to saturated mindscapes, pieces become seemingly more abstract in color and shape. The memories dance between lethargic concepts of grief and the shocking realizations of paranoia, telling a story of confusion. Inspired by the Neoclassical period of art, each keyframe hosts a different prominent facial expression. In doing this, I made an effort to focus on the subject’s eyesight in correlation with those viewing the piece. The compositions lead the viewer to feel as if they are peeping, focusing on the moment to the point of the subject recognizing, and meeting their gaze. When deciding on material, I often decide to manipulate it in a way that compliments the theme that I’m trying to present. Using chalk pastel to mimic the fleeting shock of being scared because of the impermanence of the pigment as it slowly fades over time. I tested the abilities of colored pencils on larger scales mimicking techniques of Karl Bryullov to show the complexity of moments some deem simple. Sometimes, even utilizing oil pastels to show how rage affects line movement and watercolors to emit a more nostalgic tone. The sensationalization of black violence and the fears I have revolving around commuting with my peers bubbled up through the outward expression of my inner thoughts. Splitting heads and shock-filled expressions become an iconic staple of this series. I hope that the vulnerability of my work moves others to open their mind in freely stylistic ways, connecting our line of sight to the unseen subject of their minds.

Walter Sanmartin

Arison Arts Foundation Art Portfolio Award

Influenced by my migrant background and the blue-collar work that shaped my upbringing, my concepts delve into the intricacies of emotion and human behavior, employing material manipulation, silhouette experimentation, and motifs to evoke feelings and establish tones. To me, art is the culmination of a series of thoughts, a venture deeper into a chosen subject. While studying psychology, I became fascinated by how susceptible the human brain is, how it copes, reacts, rationalizes and defends itself. Inspired by Freud’s psychosexual theory of development, I incorporated my studies into my art practice and began conceptualizing, developing my first body of work. This series revolves around the concept of embodying one’s psyche. I used psychoanalysis as the blueprint to my amateur case studies. Drawing from my peers, I tangibly illustrate psychological phenomena that I observed and correlate with their distinctive personalities. My process consists of elaborate layers of context, intentionally sourcing materials, researching silhouettes, and developing conceptual drafts. My work begins as an idea, enveloping me with emotion and navigating different perspectives. I saturate myself with a variety of imagery, music and textiles, drawing from what resonates with the theme I’m approaching. Fashion as a medium is very important to the execution of my works. The inherent wearability of each piece imparts a unique perspective, compelling viewers to consider the dynamic interplay between garment and model, my work is an outcome of study with intent to dismantle facades.

To see more Gold Medal Portfolio recipients, past and present, visit our Eyes on the Prize series.