Join the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County for the 2020-2021 Student Awards Virtual Ceremony celebrating the creative talents of two outstanding high school students in our county.
The evening will begin with recognition of the award winners and end with an engaging and insightful panel talk. Hear from the students as they discuss their work in the community, how they envision their work evolving, and their aspirations beyond 2021!
About the Student Awards
Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award
The Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award is available to high school juniors enrolled in a public or non-public high school in Montgomery County who intend to pursue the study of, and/or career in, creative writing.
Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award
The Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award is available to high school juniors enrolled in a public or non-public high school in Montgomery County who intend to pursue the study of, and/or career in, the visual arts.
Meet the Artists
Sara Medwin, Fran Abrams Creative Writing Award Winner
It’s the little things—the brief glimmer of a memory, a breeze reminding me of some deeply known truth, or a glimpse of a feeling that’s impossible to capture with words—that inspire me to put pen to paper (or finger to notes app) and write. As a creative writer, I explore the subtleties that arrest my attention, implicate my emotions, and ultimately shape my perceptions of the world. When I write, I lend a voice to the restless feelings I have that ache and echo, adding contrast and color to my life. In the same vein, I hope that my writing will communicate feelings that are so often suppressed or stigmatized by society. The complex feelings of guilt and adoration I bear towards my family and my lingering feelings of “otherness” house themselves in my work as I explore the tensions and threads that have culminated in who I am today.
Learn more about Sara and her work.
Larisa Kachko, Ida F. Haimovicz Visual Arts Award Winner
I tell the stories of objects and people through my work. I focus on the underlying layers of an object’s colors as well as it’s surface characteristics, which lets me paint out a soul and life for it. I particularly adore objects with imperfections such as scratches, broken handles, or cracks because those details make it that much more interesting to express its life in a painting. For portraiture I study different types of people and try to find their most prominent features that show who they are. Oftentimes I go for a sober, nostalgic feeling, where I try to bring light to the character of my models. When deciding on a composition, I go with multiple light sources to add interesting cast shadows, reflections, and highlights, and try to picture how I will make a piece flow.
Click to discover more about Larisa and her work.
