Sarah Reeves poses with her photo titled “Lean” at Austin’s Arthouse gallery during last weekend’s opening of the “Ahead of Their Time” exhibit. (Photo by Debra Flynn)
by JIM CULLEN
The May end-of-school cornucopia of recognition spilled over Hays CISD students last month, many of those honorees having that recognition amplified here on these pages. Among those duly-applauded was graduating Lehman High School senior Sarah Reeves, whose beaming face and proudly-displayed photographic work of art – “Rural America” – was announced at the Lobo awards assembly as a winner in the annual Congressional Art Competition by none other than U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett. Art teacher Debra Flynn joined Doggett and the about-to-graduate honoree for handshakes and a memorable photo before the throng of Lobos. But it was only the beginning of the excitement for the up-and-coming photographer.
Part of the award in the competition was an expense-paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., for an awards ceremony that brought winning students together from all over the country. Completed in the last days of June, Sarah’s trip – taken with her mom and dad, Jay and Carol Reeves – became what she described as “an awesome family vacation!”
While in the nation’s capital, Sarah’s family visited the Library of Congress, the National Zoo, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the U.S. Capitol, Chinatown, and several outdoor museums. “It was a wonderful, busy time!” Sarah says of the six-day trip.
According to its website, the Congressional Institute sponsors the nationwide high school visual art competition “to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district,” allowing members of Congress “to encourage and recognize the artistic talents of their young constituents.” Entries are submitted to their representative’s office and panels of local artists in that district select the top entries, which are then displayed for the following year at the Capitol. With her U.S. House District 25 win this year, Sarah joins the more than 650,000 students who have been recognized since the program’s 1982 beginning.
As for the lone local winner’s experience, Sarah relates being given an exciting, behind the scenes tour of the Capitol. “It was really cool to see where the President gives the State of the Union Address. I thought about all the presidents and senators that had been there.” That was a huge “wow!” moment. Following the special tour, all of the winners posed for the traditional group photo on the steps of the Capitol, lunched, then headed for a workshop with members of Congress. Perhaps more importantly to Sarah was hearing professional photographer and world-renowned artist Mansa K. Mussa speak. Thankful for the insight into the world of photography Mansa provided, Sarah adds that she found it exciting to see her picture, “Grandpa Time,” hanging in the Capitol, “where people from all over will be able to view it!”
Every first-time visitor to Washington finds their own special memories and among those for Sarah was transportation-oriented. “I really enjoyed riding the Metro (the District of Columbia’s subway system),” she says, noting she and her parents stayed in Bethesda, Maryland and rode into Washington each day. “I loved meeting people and figuring out how to get to where we were going. I think I could really become a Washington person. There is so much to see, I wanted to photograph it all!” she says with obvious pleasure.
Another of Sarah’s old-times-reminiscent photographs received accolades this past weekend. Her photo “Lean” was chosen for “Ahead of Their Time 2011,” the 12th annual Austin-area advanced art exhibition at Arthouse in downtown Austin. Sarah is one of 39 artists from 13 Austin-area high schools chosen for the annual juried exhibition. Organizers describe as “the opportunity to exhibit their work in a professional setting as well as receive feedback from a well-respected curator from the Austin area.” On hand for the event, art teacher Debra Flynn expressed surprise that so few works were exhibited, noting she’d entered works from some of Lehman’s top artists. “It’s always interesting to see what is chosen for different shows or honors, but it is always special to honor and celebrate the young artists’ work that impacted the judge in some way.”
Arthouse Curator Rachel Adams called attention to the Reeves work as part of a wide range – digital photography to ceramics and painting to collage – chosen to exhibit, “influenced by the broad range we see in contemporary art today.” She says the works “will become part of the amassing archive of “Ahead of Their Time,” highlighting the importance of the artists’ visual art interests and encouraging others to become visual art consumers.”
It’s all heady stuff and the 2011 Lehman High School graduate is quick to extend credit (“I don’t think I would have made it through my high school years without her.”) to Lobo art teacher Debra Flynn and the Lehman Art Department. “God has blessed me with wonderful teachers who were able to help me develop and nurture the gift I was blessed with,” she says, noting the fact she worked with Flynn for seven years, starting at one of Flynn’s summer art camps. Flynn’s influence grew as “a wonderful teacher, friend and mentor,” whose guidance prepared the young award-winner for her life’s next chapter. Set for its start next month, Sarah’s new chapter will be the Art Institute of Austin, working on a bachelor’s degree in Photography, with an ultimate goal of becoming a photographer for missionaries.
