NCTC presents awards for writing contest

Aspiring writers from Denton County were well represented among the winners of this year’s annual Creative Writing Awards competition at North Central Texas College.

The NCTC Department of English, Speech and Foreign Languages, contest sponsor, recognized nearly 50 winners in various creative writing categories at recent awards day ceremonies. More than 400 entries were submitted and judged in this year’s competition.

Award winners received certificates of recognition, as well as cash prizes of $75 for first place, $50 for second place and $30 for third place in each category.

Denton County winners in the Jerry Simpson Memorial Short Story Contest for middle school students included: second prize, Hayley Schulze, Liberty Christian School, Argyle; and honorable mention, Taylor Irwin, Griffin Middle School, The Colony.

In the Jerry Simpson Memorial Short Story Contest for middle school students, winners were:first prize, Ross Earley, Liberty Christian School, Argyle; second prize, Kyndall Maddoux, Liberty Christian School; third prize, Matt Marrs, Liberty Christian School; honorable mention, Hanna Elsey, Liberty Christian School, and Marian Otto, Liberty Christian School.

In the Brad Dill Memorial Short Story Contest, winners were: first prize, Rachel Gilliland, Liberty Christian School, Argyle; second prize, Emily Vick, Liberty Christian School; third prize, Catherine Harrington, Liberty Christian School; honorable mention, Hayden Erwin, Liberty Christian School, and Miles Smith, Liberty Christian School.

In the NCTC Regional Poetry Contest for non-students, Denton County winners included: third prize, Mabel Brodie, Denton; and honorable mention, Beth Honeycutt, Denton.

In the NCTC Regional Short Story Contest for non-students, winners were: first prize, Amy Lesley, Denton; second prize, Ryan Barnhart, Denton; and third prize, Dovie Jacoby, Lewisville.

In the Ila Joyce Poetry Contest for NCTC Students, winners were: first prize, Brittany Soward, Denton; and honorable mention, Stephanie Honeycutt, Denton.

In the Jack Joyce Essay Contest for NCTC Students, winners were: first prize, Katrina Leuzinger, Lewisville; and honorable mention, John Mayben, Denton.

In the Gerald McDaniel Memorial Short Story Contest for NCTC Students, funded by Robert McDaniel in memory of his brother, winners were: first prize, Katrina Leuzinger, Lewisville; third prize, Samantha Baird, Highland Village; and honorable mention, Sarah Smith, Denton.

All contest winners were selected by independent judges.

This year’s judges were Dr. Elaine White, assistant professor of English at the Gulf Coast campus of the University of Southern Mississippi; Rita Wisdom, director of the Writing Center at the Northwest Campus of Tarrant County Community College; and Dr. Steve Sherwood, novelist and director of the William L. Adams Writing Center at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Winning entries will be published in next year’s edition of The April Perennial, the NCTC literary magazine.

At the ceremonies, the 2009 issue of the magazine was released, containing poems, essays, and stories written by last year’s winners, as well as artwork contributed by students in NCTC drawing and design classes. Free copies of the magazine are available in all NCTC libraries.

Winning artists in contest announced

 The Visual Arts Department at North Central Texas College has announced winners in the 44th annual NCTC Community Art Exhibit.

The Best of Show award as well as the People’s Choice award were won by Janette Winkles for her acrylic painting Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty. Carol Henry won the Exhibit Theme Award for her painting The Turnback.

Winner of the award given annually by the Grand Avenue Animal Clinic for an animal-themed work was Kaitlyn Forrester, from Saint Jo Elementary, for Naptime is Just a Lick Away. Kristi Wood captured the Powell Fine Art Gallery award for her photograph Jubilation.

Saint Jo’s nationally recognized Western artist Donna Sickles-Howell awarded a scholarship to Kaitlin Dupré for her oil painting Self-Portrait. First State Bank-sponsored awards were given to Ryan High School student Michaela Yarbrough for Thoughtful and to Todd Ford for his painting Bottle with Cloth.

This year’s art exhibit judge was Richard Davis, professional contemporary artist and professor of art at the University of North Texas in Denton.

Other NCTC Art Exhibit winners included:

Elementary school

Division I (Grades K–2): first place, Jade Conner, Sivells Bend; second place, Lillian Cowling, Sivells Bend; third place, Jared Weir, Callisburg Elementary; honorable mention, Brandy Sorrells, Immaculate Conception, and Riley Grunor, Immaculate Conception. Division II (Grades 3-5): first place, Cecilia Dominguez, Valley View ISD; second place, Haley Reed, Valley View ISD; third place, Jauslyn Anderson, Valley View ISD; honorable mention, Isaac Wood, Valley View ISD, and Evan Wolfenbarger, Valley View ISD. Division III (grades 6-8): first place, Terry Hall, Retha’s School of Art; second place, Sidney Durmick, Calhoun Middle School; third place, Guadalupe Cortez, Calhoun Middle School; honorable mention: Samantha Garza, Calhoun Middle School; and Miranda Kaylor, Valley View ISD.

High school

Division IV (grades 9-10):first place, Sean Rohde, Denton Ryan; second place, Monica Huckabay, Denton; third place, Valerie Nystrom, Lindsay; honorable mention, Chloe Ferris, Denton Ryan, and Michelle Knapp, Pilot Point. Division V (grades 11-12):first place, Jessie Aguirre, Pilot Point; second place, Jin Jeong, Denton Ryan; third place, Christopher Stutts, Denton Ryan; honorable mention, Lauren Streeter, Valley View ISD, and Sarah MacElroy, Pilot Point.

Adults

Winners in the Ceramics, Sculpture, Metals & Jewelry category were: first place, James Kemp; second place, Jill O’Brien; third place, Susan Olivares; honorable mention, Jeanne Mitchell and Eugene Paul Hermes.

Winners in the Acrylic, Oil, Watercolor category were: first place, Janette Winkles; second place, Kaitlin Dupré; third place, Beatrice White; and honorable mention, R. Littlefield Schafer and Pat Peery.

Winners in the Pastel, Pencil, Pen category were: first place: Retha Bond; second place, Laura Horner; third place, Laura Horner; and honorable mention, Roxanne Musick and Kathy Black.

Adult Division winners in the Photography, Digital Art category were: first place, Kristi Wood; second place, Jack Milchanowski; third place, Tony Avila; and honorable mention, Stephanie Fink.