Students win art, writing awards.

Byline: Steve Lyttle

Mar. 12--Students from eight high schools earned top honors recently in the annual Mid-Carolina Region Scholastic Art and Writing awards competition.

The event was open to students in Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln and Union counties and drew 1,700 entries in the arts and writing divisions.

The top winners were the American Vision awards, which were a "best of show" honor for students in various categories. Winners of the American Vision awards were from Charlotte Latin, Country Day, Harding University, Hopewell, Myers Park and Providence high schools; Northwest School of the Arts; and Gaston Day School.

In addition, all Gold Key winners advanced to national competition in New York.

This year's show was organized by a pair of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools arts coordinators -- Dean Johns, director of arts education; and Cheryl Maney, visual arts and dance specialist. The two got help from ArtsTeach, the Charlotte-based organization that provides funding for programs that use the arts to help with the general curriculum. "ArtsTeach stepped up with the financial support for our awards," Johns said.

Maney said that this year, for the first time, judges and event organizers provided feedback to arts teachers about student entries.

"That helps extend the education process, because students learn exactly what the judges thought," Maney said.

The event is considered the top student art competition annually in the Piedmont.

TOP AWARDS:

--ArtsTeach Art Awards: Anneke Demmink (Northwest School of the Arts); Natalie Faust (Midwood High), Sculpture; Neilson Gamble (Charlotte Latin), Digital Imagery; Sam Keesler (Hopewell High), Printmaking; Cameron Lineberger…