Every year, art students all around the nation participate in a competition known as VASE, or the Visual Arts Scholastic Event, in which students grades 9-12 can enter their pieces. These works can either be 2D or sculptural and are judged by art teachers from several districts in order to determine who will advance onto state, and hopefully win the highly desired Gold Seal prize. AP studio art students are currently making their final preparations for the competition on Saturday, Feb. 22, at Jasper High School.

“I’m really excited about VASE this year,” AP 3D student Rachel McCullough said. “I love to see what people from other schools have made and how it compares to everything we’re doing in our classes at Plano.”

As far as the actual competition goes, however, McCullough has mixed opinions when it comes to the judging aspect.

“The judging tends to be very subjective when it comes to art, but it is still nice to hear the perspectives of other artists about your work,” McCullough said. “I am ready to hear what they have to say so I can improve my later pieces with that advice in mind.”

For junior Odelia Cheng, a student currently in AP 2D, her views on the competition prove to be very similar.

“I am definitely excited about the competition, and it would be so fun to make it to state, but I’m also a little nervous because the interview process is scary,” Cheng said. “You never know what the judges are looking for, so I’m not sure how judging will go this year.”

Students in both advanced art classes work hard year round for this opportunity, however, and keep busy during each two block class, in order to improve their pieces and hopefully gain recognition in the competition.

“It’s very busy in 2D since we have a project due basically every week,” Cheng said. “But it’s totally worth it once you start seeing improvement in your artwork. VASE is just a really great opportunity to show other artists how far you’ve come and how hard you’ve had to work in class. It’s great to get useful advice to keep on getting better as the year goes on.”