26 Middle, Upper School Students Win Awards in Suffolk Sister Cities Young Artists and Authors Showcase

Nansemond-Suffolk Academy is celebrating more than two dozen students who took home awards in the annual Suffolk Sister Cities Young Artists and Authors Showcase, which included a best in show prize!

Students from Suffolk submitted art entries across five categories, including drawing, painting, photography, mixed media and digital art. Authors submitted entries that were categorized as either essays or poetry. The contest also included a category for music. All submissions reflected this year's theme, "Friendship: The Heartbeat of Global Peace." This theme highlights the power of friendship to foster understanding, collaboration and peace across borders.

This year, Sister Cities International is hosting two separate competitions based on age groups. Applicants between the ages of 12 and 14 compete in one showcase, while those between the ages of 15 and 18 compete in another. Experts in art, writing and music judged the entries at the local level, including college professors, the Chrysler Museum's director of education, a professional recording artist and more.

When choosing winners, judges followed a rubric with three categories, including technique, composition and general artistry. For essays and poetry, mechanics were also considered. Additionally, judges took into account how the art and writing followed the theme. In total, judges handed out 67 awards, with 27 of them going to NSA students. The first place and best in show award winners, which include Margaret Laney Cross '28, Caitlin Miranda '27, Eva Louise Riggs '30 and Allison Spires '26, are now eligible to participate in the Sister Cities International contest, where they will compete against students from around the world. There is a $1,000 cash prize for winners of the international competition.

All entries in the Suffolk Sister Cities Young Artists and Authors Showcase will be on display through April 8 at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Galleries at the Suffolk Center are free and open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Congratulations to all of our participating students and award winners! Go Saints!

Young Artist Awards- 14 and under

Classic Art

First Place: Eva Louise Riggs '30

Second Place: Hunter Cowan '30

Third Place: Kara Beth Rountree '30

Honorable Mention: Juliana Samonte '30

Young Artist Awards- 15 and over

Painting

Third Place: Zoe Mitchell '25

Honorable Mention: Aubrey Council '25

Mixed Media

Honorable Mention: Aisha Brown '25 and Audrey Slattery '25

Photography

First Place: Allison Spires '26 (winning piece, "Through Our Eyes," pictured above)

Second Place: Shane Rogers Johnson '26

Third Place: Ryan Pillsbury '25

Honorable Mention: Jade Dalton '25 (not pictured), Landon Everett '26 (not pictured) and Inayha Rana '26 (not pictured)

Drawing

Second Place: Makaela Waddington '25 (not pictured)

Third Place: Parker Duke '25

Honorable Mention: Lucia Botran Martin '25, Shelby Jones '27 (not pictured) and Maria Pratt '26

Young Authors Awards

Essays

First Place: Margaret Laney Cross '28

Second Place: Zoey Carpenter '27

Third Place: Paiton Gillott '26 (not pictured)

Poetry

Second place (tie): Gavin Angelillo '25 and Elizabeth Balka '25

Honorable Mention: Mackenzie Farrell '25 and Zoe Mitchell '25

Authors' Best in Show

Caitlin Miranda '27