AUGUSTA, Maine – Twenty-one student artists have been selected by the Maine Department of Education to have their work showcased on tens of thousands of devices the state provides to schools to support local teaching and learning.
And of those 21 selected, five are Houlton High School students.
“I’m incredibly impressed with the talent and creativity reflected in this year’s submissions,” said Acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin. “Maine has long been celebrated for the art created by its citizens and inspired by its beauty and these winning works show that the next generation of Maine artists being developed in our schools today is continuing that rich tradition. These contest winners deserve to take great pride in their accomplishments and I wish them all the best in their future artistic and academic endeavors.”
Houlton students whose work was selected, including the title of their piece of artwork, include: Ella Glatter, senior, “Collisions of the Universe”; Amber Hulstrunk, senior, “Simplicity”; Dylan Crockett, freshman, “Ceramic Ball of Food”; Kate Newman, sophomore, “Rainbow Falls”; and Shaina Hamilton, senior, “Phoenix.”
Through the Maine DOE’s Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), the state gives either an Apple iPad, MacBook Air or an HP ProBook laptop to all seventh- and eighth-graders and teachers in grades 7-12. High schools also have the option to participate by leasing competitively priced devices through the program for their students.
More than 100 Maine students submitted images to be considered in this year’s MLTI Screensaver Contest and an independent panel of three judges selected the winners whose work will be featured on the 70,000 or so devices deployed during the 2015-16 school year.
The Department’s artwork challenge is an annual opportunity that has attracted entries from more than 1,300 students, grades K-12, during its seven-year history. The students whose artwork was selected are also invited to attend the 2015 MLTI Student Conference on May 21 in Orono free of charge.
Additionally, the winning artwork will be displayed at the Maine DOE’s offices in Augusta and on the Department’s website. Students have also received a letter of congratulations and certificate from Acting Education Commissioner Tom Desjardin.
The students’ artwork is available for viewing at www.maine.gov/mlti.
