Eleven students at Palmer Catholic Academy in Ponte Vedra Beach were recently named finalists in Crayola’s national 2017-2018 “Art Energizes STEAM” Art Expo.

This year, Crayola’s national art exhibition was an opportunity for students to weave the artistic processes: create, present, respond and connect into STEAM projects with writing to enrich their cross-curricular experiences. STEAM integrates art with science, technology, engineering, and math.

The following students are finalists in the Crayola National Art Exhibition:

• Delaney Finniss (Kindergarten)
• Joshua Valenzuela (1st Grade)
• Charlie Nolan (3rd Grade)
• Parker Loiseau (3rd Grade)
• Kate Fennell (5th Grade)
• Ellie White (5th Grade)
• Olivia Norgart (5th Grade)
• Mary Clare Stinneford (6th Grade)
• Campbell Tyrrell (6th Grade)
• Mary Alice Hartman (7th Grade) and
• Sophia Tiseo (8th Grade)

Thousands of pieces were submitted from students across the country with the top 50 finalists becoming part of the United States Department of Education’s permanent curated collection of inspiring children’s art on display in Washington, D.C. They will receive a customized plaque with a replica of their inspiring artwork commemorating this achievement.

In a congratulatory letter to the art teacher, Katie Corrigan, from the Crayola Art Exhibition Committee, “The finalists’ artwork showed a true connection to the theme, had stunning visual appeal, presented age-appropriate critical thinking and responded to the theme with originality.”

“It is humbling to have so many pieces selected. We are very grateful to Crayola for such a wonderful opportunity to build deeper understanding across the curriculum through visual art while encouraging self-expression and creativity in our students,” Corrigan said.

In addition to the finalists, outstanding student artwork created by Palmer students Matthew Rattigan (1^st Grade), Luke Stover (1^st Grade), Anna Moore (3^rd Grade), Gus Crouch (3^rd Grade), Ethan Osborne (3^rd Grade), Kathryn Thompson (3^rd Grade), Ava Valenzuela (3^rd Grade), Eva Mijares (3^rd Grade), Jacob Norgart (3^rd Grade), Kelley Smith (3^th Grade), Sophia Rich (4^th Grade), Arianna Ortiz (5^th Grade), Veronica Wise (6^th Grade), Olivia Copland (7^th Grade), Ellie Moritz (8^th), Emily Lombana (8^th), Hannah Outcalt (8^th) Isabella Bushkell (8^th), Laine Gray (8^th) and Sara Valenzuela (8^th) was selected for inclusion in Crayola publications and education resources.

All 31 students and Katie Corrigan will receive “Prize Packages” of Crayola products.

The Crayola Art Exhibition Committee added, “Each submission provided a look into the mind of the student artist. We were truly inspired by the ways students connected art with science, technology, engineering, and math.”