BCAT student artist earns nominations for two national awards
Updated
Burden by Mary Wissinger
Winners for the 2026 regional Scholastic Art Awards recently were announced at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley in Pulaski and one Roanoke County student artist earned two major recognitions.
The Scholastic Art Awards, dating back to 1923, is the most prestigious and longest running awards program for teen artists. Out of more than 400 entries from student artists in grades 7-12 across a geographic range of 23 counties and independent towns and cities in Southwest Virginia, Mary Wissinger, a 12th grade student from the Center for Visual Arts (CVA) at the Burton Center for Arts and Technology (BCAT) earned not one, but two American Visions Nominations for her artworks.
- Burden
- Quiet Introspection
The American Visions Nomination is the highest regional award presented to student artists. Only five nominations are awarded at each regional event and advance to national adjudication in New York City, alongside the Gold Key winners. National medalists are invited to attend a ceremony at Carnegie Hall, with winners announced in late March.
In addition, students earned gold or silver key awards. Roanoke County students earning gold or silver keys are:
Gold Key Winners:
- Vesa Bajrami, CVA
- Rayya Bryson, CVA
- Nate Buck, CVA
- Sunday Dhane, CVA (2)
- Scarlett Ferguson, CVA
- Ellison Fulcher, CVA
- Owen Gray, WBHS
- Sam Miller, CVA
- Helen Nucamendi, CVA
- Meisha Robinson, CVA (2)
- Caroline Watkins, CVA
- Mary Wissinger, CVA (2)
Quiet Introspection by Mary Wissinger
Silver Key Winners:
- Rozhia Bayatkandi, CVA
- Rayya Bryson, CVA
- Nate Buck, CVA
- Sophie Childers, CVA
- Addison Collins, WBHS
- Lily Cook, GHS
- Dotti Dorlini, CVA
- Chester Durham, CVA
- Ellison Fulcher CVA
- Edy Gann, CVA
- Saleen Garcia, CVA
- Sarah Hernandez, CVA
- Brooke Justus, CVA
- Alexandra Kalafut, CVA
- Heysel Lainez, WBHS
- Niki Panogeorgou, CVA
- Abbie Rice, CVA
- Charlotte Salters, CVA
- Eesha Sethumadhavan, CVA
- Ashlynn Shabana, CVA (2)
- Adela Zavala, NMS
Honorable Mention:
- Caroline Bass, CVA
- Rayya Bryson, CVA (2)
- Nate Buck, CVA
- Sophie Childers, CVA (3)
- Trinity Claxton, NMS
- Autumn Dent, GHS
- Dotti Dorlini, CVA
- Emma Eskridge, CVA
- Scarlett Ferguson, CVA
- Ellison Fulcher, CVA (2)
- Edy Gann, CVA (2)
- Hannah Gilbert, CVA (2)
- Derek Gordon, CVA
- Oliver Hardy, CVA
- Abigail Hood, CVA
- Kyleigh King, CVA (2)
- Isabella Malina, NMS
- Helen Nucamendi, CVA
- Anna Perkoski, CVA
- Mason Ponting, CVA
- Jillian Rand, CVA
- Keira Roach, CVA
- Charlotte Salters, CVA
- Redima Samal, NHS
- Eesha Sethumadhavan, CVA
- Mahima Sethumadhavan, CSHS
- Ashlynn Shabana, CVA
- Bri Spencer, CVA (2)
- Vada Szechenyi, CVA
- Dixie Venable, CVA
- Emma Whitcomb, CVA
- Lucy Whitenack, WBHS
- Mary Wissinger, CVA (3)
- Blair Zarobinikski, CVA (2)
Most of the winning entries can be observed in person at the Edna B. Love Gallery at the Fine Arts Center at 21 West Main Street in downtown Pulaski until Saturday, February 21. A reception will be held on February 21 at the Center at noon and awards will be presented to students across the street at the Pulaski Theatre at 2 p.m. The winning artwork can also be viewed in an online gallery at FACNRV.org/scholastic.