Reflections Art Program
celebrating the arts and self-expression
Gallery show Nov 4, 2024 @ SPARC
Visual Arts
Literature
Music Composition
Photography
Dance Choreography
Film Production
Hannah Chan 1st Place “Embrace”
Frances Beski 1st Place “14th Absence”
Juniper Kwan 2nd Place “Sad Square”
Thank you to the record number of students who submitted entries.
Each year the National PTA Reflections Program provides an opportunity for students to express their unique ideas through visual and performing arts, film production and music.
Every student is invited to submit original works of art highlighting the creative exploration and interpretation of this year’s theme “Accepting Imperfection”.
All SPHS entries are eligible to participate in a professional gallery show and selected pieces may be submitted for state and national level awards and recognition opportunities.
Information
Five decades. Ten million students. And you!
National PTA’s Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life.
Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps them explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.
Student winners from the local level have the opportunity to move up through their district, region, council and state PTA programs to the national level.
National Reflections winners are announced in May and celebrated throughout the following year.
Students can submit original work in the following categories.
- Dance
- Choreography
- Literature
- Photography
- Film Production
- Music Composition
- Visual Arts
Submission deadline for 2024-2025: October 3, 2024
All entries can be submitted online here. If your submission is too large to send or is not in digital format, please email to reflections@sphsptsa.net and the PTSA will contact you to arrange your submission. Sizes and weights of submissions limited to 24″ X 30″ maximum and less than 40 lbs.
Artworks are submitted first to school-level PTAs, where they are first recognized, celebrated and judged by five grade-level divisions, the Special Artists division celebrates student artists with special needs. School PTAs then choose a selection of entries to be judged by local PTA units, which are then sent on to councils and then districts for consideration. The final artworks submitted to California State PTA by districts are then considered for Outstanding Interpretation, Awards of Excellence or Awards of Merit. Outstanding Interpretation and Award of Excellence entries then go on to represent California in the final National PTA judging round.
State-level Outstanding Interpretation honorees receive:
- Onstage recognition at the California State PTA Annual Convention
- The opportunity to showcase their artwork at the California State PTA Convention Reflections Gallery
- Prizes including an Outstanding Interpretation plaque, award and certificate
State-level Award of Excellence honorees receive:
- The opportunity to showcase their artwork at the California State PTA Convention Reflections Gallery
- Prizes including an Award of Excellence medallion, award and certificate
State-level Award of Merit honorees receive:
- The opportunity to showcase their artwork at the California State PTA Convention Reflections Gallery
- Prizes including an Award of Merit medallion and certificate
National-level Outstanding Interpretation honorees are recognized at the National PTA Convention, plus their artwork, along with any National Award of Excellence and Merit winners, are featured in Reflections’ popular traveling national exhibit. See the winners.
Each year, students are invited to submit themes for the annual Reflections Art Program that will inspire young artists to create original works.
Click here for more information and to see the 2024-25 California finalists who were sent to National PTA for judging.
If you have any questions, please contact reflections@sphsptsa.net.
2023-2024 entries participated in the SPHS professional gallery show on Nov 13, 2023 at SPARC.
Congratulations to the 2023-24 entrants and winners.
LITERATURE
1st Place – Emett Mendel, “I am Hopeful Because What is There to Do But Hope”
2nd Place – Viviana Williams, “Choosing Hope Amidst Horror”
Honorable Mention – Linda Yun, “Home, Half-Frozen”
MUSIC COMPOSITION
1st Place – Kayleigh Noel English, “To The Hopeless”
2nd Place – Lorenzo Jones, “City Signs”
PHOTOGRAPHY
1st Place – Jackson Bangar, “And it’ll Rise Again”
2nd Place – Emiko Essmiller, “Companionship”
Honorable Mention – Claudia Bright, “Eyes Open”
VISUAL ARTS
1st Place – Claire Yee, “Flirting with Art”
2nd Place – Sophia Atencio, “No Sabo”
Honorable Mention – Elsie Huang, “July 1, 2017”
Congratulations to the entrants and winners for 2022-2023 Show Your Voice.
DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY
Outstanding Interpretation – Phoebe Ho, “Numbers”
FILM PRODUCTION
Outstanding Interpretation – Nate Matsuda, “The Power of Voice”
LITERATURE
Outstanding Interpretation – Hannah Bae, “Showing Myself”
MUSIC COMPOSITION
Outstanding Interpretation – Yuuto Izumi, “Speranza e Gratitudine”
PHOTOGRAPHY
Outstanding Interpretation – Emiko Essmiller, “Melodies on the Wind”
VISUAL ARTS
Outstanding Interpretation – Quincy Sakai, “Spirit Ascending
