Thirteen students from New Canaan High School have been recognized by the Connecticut Art Education Association as recipients of 2026 Connecticut Regional Scholastic Art Awards, placing their work among the top student art submissions statewide.
The awards were announced Wednesday, Jan. 7, by the Connecticut Art Education Association, which oversees the regional Scholastic Art Awards program in Connecticut. The program recognizes student achievement in technical skill, creativity, and personal expression. Thousands of entries from across the state were reviewed, with only a limited number selected for honors in each category.
Students from New Canaan High School earned distinctions ranging from Honorable Mention to Silver Key and Gold Key awards. Gold Key recipients advance to the national level of the Scholastic Art Awards competition.
Senior Isabelle Kelly received a Silver Key for her art portfolio, Where Am I Going? Where Have I Been? In addition to the award, Kelly earned a scholarship to the University of Hartford Art School. Emma McPartland was awarded a Gold Key and received the CAEA Arnini Award for Best in Experimental Photography for her work Arabesque.
Awards were earned across multiple disciplines, including drawing, photography, printmaking, and digital media, under the instruction of art teachers Abigail Duncan, Maggie Pennoyer, and Jennifer Sinski.
Students recognized under Duncan include Analiese Bergmans, who received two Gold Keys for The Cost of Growing Up and Raw, both drawings, and Kelly for her Silver Key portfolio.
Under Pennoyer’s instruction, Eva Warner earned a Gold Key for Grand Tetons, a photograph. Silver Keys were awarded to Devin Boulanger for Interstellar, Logan Scherr for Silent Cast, and Emily Meng for both Ocean Embers and Relaxation.
Students taught by Sinski also received multiple honors. Gold Keys were awarded to Emmeline DeMuth for Old Port, Gabrielle Savelli for Twin Bees, and McPartland for Arabesque. Lucy Bench received a Silver Key for Cuenca Cathedral, while Lyn Wong earned an Honorable Mention for Alley in Japan.
Two additional students earned recognition through outside submissions. Blake Pozatek received a Silver Key for Grandma on the Moon, and Joy Zhao earned a Gold Key for Insanity.
Selected works will be exhibited at the Connecticut Regional Art Awards Exhibition at the Silpe Gallery at the University of Hartford Art School from Jan. 12 through Jan. 30. An awards celebration will be held Sunday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. at the Lincoln Theater on the University of Hartford campus.
