Published 1:40 pm Thursday, May 8, 2025
By Steve Brown
Courtesy photo: Andie Petkus Photography Guest speaker Oregon City High School senior Kylee Turner.
Every year, the Clackamas Education Service District honors student artists from every corner of Clackamas County at the annual Regional Art Show.
The show brings together middle and high school students from all 10 public school districts in Clackamas County. The 2025 award ceremony was held at the Clackamas ESD administrative building on Thursday, April 14. At the event over $100,000 in scholarships and prizes were awarded to the winning artists.
“I welcome this annual opportunity to honor the amazing young artists in our community, as well as the teachers in our Clackamas County schools who are skillfully expanding these students’ talents,” said Clackamas ESD Superintendent Larry Didway in a press release. “Our spring regional art show is the culmination of months of planning. Dozens of people have a hand in making this event successful.”
Wilsonville High School senior Nikolai Kurashov won “Best in Show” for his ink and acrylic paint drawing titled “We Are Machine.” He also earned first place honors for 12th graders.
Other high school students recognized with first place in their grades were West Linn High School junior Karina Secchi for her drawing titled “The Undead and the Unseen,” Sabin-Schellenberg Professional Technical Center sophomore Sal Aultman-Meltzer for his ceramic piece “ (Shemritza),” and New Urban High School ninth grader Andy Goe for the painting “Bird Days.”
Estacada High School senior Lilly Horn won the Jada Rupley Superintendent’s Choice Award for her charcoal drawing “Forgotten in my Eyes, Stored in my Heart.” Clackamas ESD purchased her drawing to be displayed in the offices permanently.
All high school student winners receive scholarships for classes at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, gift certificates for Venvino Art Studios and the opportunity to exhibit their work at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts this summer. Middle school student award winners also receive Venvino gift cards and the chance to show at Lakewood over the summer.
Prizes and scholarships are supported by Clackamas ESD’s partners: Clackamas Community College, Lakewood Center of the Arts, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Venvino Art Studios and members of the Clackamas River Basin Council.
The show is judged by 11 professional artists who volunteer their time.
“Our heartiest thanks, of course, go to the nearly 200 middle and high school students and 36 teachers who participated in this show. Teachers are major partners in this event, personally curating, prepping and submitting art from their students. Across seven grade levels, this art show captures the creativity, inspiration and talent that is exhibited in Clackamas County classrooms every day,” said Didway in the release.
A complete list of winners, and the online art show, is available online at https://www.clackesd.org/2025/04/25/nearly-50-students-win-thousands-in-prizes-at-clackamas-esd-regional-art-show-wilsonville-high-school-senior-earns-best-of-show/.
