DCSD holds annual “Art in Business” awards
Darlington County School District celebrated the artistic talents of its students on Sunday, March 26 at the annual “Art in Business” awards ceremony, held at Hartsville Middle School.
A judging panel comprised of art teachers, contest sponsors, and community business leaders selected one student winner from each of the District’s 21 schools, and then four top artists were chosen as “Best of Show” to represent their age groups.
Top honors for the primary division (Grades K – 2) went to Lillianna Fountain of Lamar Elementary School for her painting “Stripes.”
Art in Business 2017 Grand Prize winners (front row, left to right) Lillianna Fountain, Jaylyn Bradley, Bayley Barr, and Ilada Ekakkaraphibal, with (back row, left to right) Darlington County School Board member Connell Delaine and Darlington County School District superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram. Photo by Samanth Lyles
The grand prize winner for the elementary division (Grades 3 – 5) was Jaylyn Bradley of Washington Street Elementary School for his painting “Snowman.”
Winning the middle school division (Grades 6 – 8) was Bayley Barr of Spaulding Middle School for his painting “Island at Peace.”
Taking top marks for the high school division (Grades 9 – 12) was Ilada Ekakkaraphibal of Lamar High School for her painting “The Eye of the Universe.”
“I want to commend you all on your creativity,” said DCSD superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram as the ceremony drew to a close. “In the 21st century, you will be creating your own jobs, your own pathways, and work in the arts and music and theater is so critically important to solving problems that we don’t even know are problems yet. I think the future is brighter because you’re in it.”
Each school winner receives a $50 cash award, and the grand prize winners’ schools will each receive $200 for art supplies. For one year, the winning works of art will be displayed in sponsoring businesses across Darlington County, after which the artworks will be permanently displayed in the DCSD Administrative Building.
The individual school winners are:
• Brockington Elementary Magnet School – Eric Weatherford
• Brunson-Dargan Elementary School – Anette Lopez-Bustos
• Cain Elementary School – Bella Galloway
• Carolina Elementary School – Kaiti Nut
• Darlington County Institute of Technology – Brandon Kiker
• Darlington High School – Kaitlyn Gandy
• Darlington Middle School – Caleb Hart
• Hartsville High School – Naeleah Bell
• Hartsville Middle School – Jasmyne Wright
• Lamar Elementary School – Lillianna Fountain
• Lamar High School – Ilada Ekakkaraphibal
• Mayo High School for Math, Science and Technology – Sarah Fender
• North Hartsville Elementary School – Peyton Atkinson
• Pate Elementary School – Adrian Owens
• Rosenwald Elementary/Middle School – Keyshawn Dudley
• Southside Early Childhood Center – Laura Chirinos-Almanza
• Spaulding Elementary School – Vincent Yang
• Spaulding Middle School – Bayley Barr
• St. John’s Elementary School – Aniya Miller
• Thornwell School for the Arts – Mara Arreola
• Washington Street Elementary School – Joshua Adam Johnson, Jr.
• West Hartsville Elementary School – Jaylyn Bradley
Sponsors for this year’s “Art in Business” include: Advanced Wellness Center; Better Homes and Gardens Segars Realty; Burry Bookstore; Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center; Darlington Raceway; Dedicated Community Bank; Duke Energy; Eads Chiropractic Wellness Center; Heritage Community Bank; John & Beth Johnson; Jiffy Print; NOVOLEX; Orthodontic Specialists; Raceway Ford and Chevrolet; Sonoco; Sound Solutions Hearing Care; and SPC Credit Union.
