Chilkat Valley News - Serving Haines and Klukwan, Alaska since 1966

A Haines High School senior won best of show at the all-state art competition alongside three classmates whose creations won top three for their respective categories.

Seth McClurg's kyusu teapot swept the competition for its creativity and skillfulness, merging ceramic and wood-turning techniques. Alongside his best of show title, McClurg won first place out of 14 ceramics entries. He has been working with ceramics since he was 12 years old.

"For me, my main goal was to make something that I really enjoyed and something I could use," McClurg said. "I've already had tea in my teapot and it works pretty well. Most of the stuff I make I tend to give away because they make good gifts. This one I'll keep for me."

McClurg's winning set included a ceramic teapot with a wooden handle and wooden knob on the lid. The set included two teacups, one of which McClurg dropped and shattered.

"I included that cup with the set in the photos I sent the judges and talked a little bit about it in the artist statement," McClurg said. "Accidents happen obviously, but the judges were telling me about (kintsugi) where you take broken pottery and fix it with gold inlay. I really want to try it."

Senior Matilda Rogers placed runner up in ceramics with a teapot called "Touched by Fire." Her submission focused on the kiln-firing process.

"Your glaze is completely different based on where you put your piece in the kiln and mine was on the bottom shelf where there is the least reduction," she said. "You can literally see where the flames were hitting the teapot and you can see the shadow of my handle. So, I called my piece 'Touched by Fire.' I focused on what I tried to accomplish in the firing process and I wanted to showcase how the firing works."

Rogers has been working with ceramics for two years under the instruction of art teacher Giselle Miller. She said she plans to continue to study ceramics at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania.

Freshman Nolan Wald placed second in photography with a photo of ducks landing in the water at Mud Bay. He waited nearly three hours for the perfect shot, he said.

"Patience," Wald said. "It took a while and a lot of waiting in the cold. My dog came and hung out with me. Just a lot of waiting for them to fly towards you and not away, trying to get close, all those types of things."

Wald is looking forward to photographing wildlife this summer.

Nolan Wald

Freshman Nolan Wald said it took a lot of patience to capture this image that placed second in the photography category of the Alaska School Activities Association all-state art competition.

Senior Marin Hart received an honorable mention for her sculpture, "Gaia's Heart." The piece, an anatomical heart with an earthy green glaze, took several months to complete.

"It was such a big sculpture that I would have to do part of it and come back and do more," Hart said. "I had to deal with lots of cracking issues because of the drying process. I waited for that to dry for a long time. I would say a couple weeks probably because it was so thick."

Emily McPhetres won third place in printmaking with her piece "Nature Continues." The piece symbolized death and new life, according to her artist statement.

Emma Dohrn received honorable mention in printmaking with her piece "Rise of the Lost."

Lucia Chapell received honorable mention in ceramics with a set of three hand-carved bowls, named "Topographic Stack."

All-state art submissions can be viewed at https://artalaska.org.