Arts Education

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE WHOSE ARTWORK WAS SELECTED TO BE DISPLAYED AT THE 2HEARTBEAT AWARDS CEREMONY.

Check out all of the outstanding student artwork on display now through April 30 at the K-Jewel Gallery in downtown Fresno (1415 Fulton St, Fresno, CA 93721).

CLICK HERE TO VIEW PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT!

Junior Division Honorees

BEST IN CLASS: "Super Dad" 

Madelyn Blanchard, 5th Grade

Orange Center Elementary (Orange Center School District)

Image

ARTIST STATEMENT: 

My everyday hero is my dad. My dad is my every day hero because he always helps people when needed. I am showing you the ways that he helps us around the house, like reading to me, washing dishes, cooking dinner, and working as an online professor. I used dramatic lighting, different angles, and focused on my dad’s face in each photo.

HONORABLE MENTION: "Storyteller" 

Garrick McClelland, 8th Grade

Kastner Intermediate School (Clovis Unified School District)

Image

ARTIST STATEMENT: 

Many people, including myself, love libraries, and it’s important to honor the people behind them. Penny Hill has served our community as a Fresno County librarian for over 50 years! She has helped countless children, adults, and families access knowledge through books, storytelling, and demonstrations where a personal connection is most important to her. This collage illustrates Penny’s direct role in the life cycle of a Woodward Park Library book whether for the public’s, or her personal, enjoyment. Different camera angles, lighting, and editing were used to help focus on Penny.

Senior Division Honorees

BEST IN CLASS: "The Backbone of America: One Mother's Work from Dawn to Dusk" 

Exahu Ferreira Hernandez, 12th Grade

Selma High School (Selma Unified School District)  

Image

ARTIST STATEMENT: 
I’ve chosen my mother, Joaquina Hernandez, as my everyday hero. She is hardworking and manages to balance work and being a single mother. Every day, she wakes up at 4 AM, drives 20-30 minutes to work, and still manages to cook for us at the end of the day. These photos capture her dedication. As a worker in California’s agriculture, she helps provide food for the country. Her commitment shows how she works tirelessly to support me. To make the portraits cinematic, I used golden hour light and a lamp for indoor shots, then edited them in black and white for a more dramatic effect. 

HONORABLE MENTION: "Tobin's Battle" 

Isaac Briseno, 11th Grade

Kerman High School (Kerman Unified School District)

Image

ARTIST STATEMENT: 
My subject is Tobin Goosev, he is a junior basketball player at Kerman High and is currently battling cancer. Even though he is fighting for his life, he refuses to let it keep him [from] living his life and pursuing the things that he loves. Tobin rarely gets to attend school in person [but] he manages to keep a 4.0 GPA. He finds time to pursue his passions and keep close connections with family and friends, and he does it all with a smile on his face. Tobin is one of my heroes because he inspires me to persevere through every triumph and problem that happens in my life and to do it all with a positive attitude. He proves how important perspective can be during struggle and how thoughts can positively transform your everyday life. 

HONORABLE MENTION: "The Working Class" 

Aranza Cobian Robles Gil, 12th Grade

Selma High School (Selma Unified School District)

Image

ARTIST STATEMENT: 
I’ve chosen my dad as my everyday hero because he works hard to provide for our family. He ensures we have food, electricity, and a roof over our heads, but also shows his love in small ways, like cutting roses from our bushes or buying us something we enjoy. He’s caring not just to us but also to his animals, making sure they’re healthy and happy. He works long hours, from 4 AM to sometimes 10 PM, yet always manages to smile, even on his toughest days.
Through this, I aim to tell the story of immigrant parents like mine. I want others to understand the sacrifices they make to give their children a better life, even if they couldn’t pursue their own dreams. I used different perspectives and low lighting to capture the reality of their work.