Schools

Waukesha High School Students Receive National Art Honors

2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards recognizes nearly 1,500 students throughout the nation.

Two students from Waukesha high schools were placed on the National Medal Winners list for the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards that is sponsored by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

Gayana Wanniarachchi, a junior at Waukesha South High School, earned a gold metal for a painting.

Paulene Phouybanhdyt, a senior at Waukesha West High School, earned a silver medal for comic art.

Find out what's happening in Waukeshawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The students are among nearly 1,500 students across the nation to receive the awards, according to a news release. About 185,000 submissions were sent into the awards program, whose alumni include Andy Warhol and Sylvia Plath.

"The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards provide unprecedented opportunities for the nation's most creative teens through recognition, exhibition, publication and scholarships," Virginia McEnerney, executive director of the alliance, said in the release. "Our jurors were drawn from the ranks of the most accomplished artists and writers working in America today. They were blown away by the quality, originality and spirit of the work, and many told us that they came away from the experience feeling optimistic and excited about the future of America’s creative leadership."

Find out what's happening in Waukeshawith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Waukesha