Reflections Art Program
celebrating the arts and self-expression
Congratulations to this year’s 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”
All entries may participate in the SPHS professional gallery show on Nov 13, 2023 at SPARC. Students may submit their completed works in one or more of the categories.
Information
Artworks are submitted first to school-level PTAs, where they are recognized, celebrated and judged by five grade-level divisions. A non-judged 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.
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.
Submission deadline for 2023-2024: October 17, 2023
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
The Reflections 2023 program theme is I Am Hopeful Because…
If you have any questions, please contact reflections@sphsptsa.net.
Congratulations to last year’s entrants and winners. The 2022-2023 theme was 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