Allison Davis is a junior Advanced Studies Art student at Shadow Ridge whose artwork was featured in the 40th Annual Happy Times Calendar run by the Silver State School Credit Union and the People Over Profit Foundation. The calendar includes one selected artwork for each month, chosen from K-12 students across CCSD, with one winner per grade level. Davis’s piece was selected as the 11th grade winner and featured for the month of July. A ceremony was held on December 8, where student winners were recognized alongside their families and teachers and received prize money and a certificate. She won $200 for herself, as well as an additional $200 awarded to support Shadow Ridge’s art program.
Christina Mazzone-Jackson (MJ), the Advanced Studies Art teacher, requires her students to create and submit an entry for the competition. About a month later, Davis was surprised in class with the news that her artwork had been selected as one of the winning pieces.
“I was really excited and proud of her,” MJ states. “She worked really hard and was very deserving.”
The prompt for the art competition asked students to draw something that makes them happy. Davis chose to draw a summer barbecue, inspired by her fond memories of her family and community gatherings during special occasions and celecbrations. Her artwork, titled ‘Sun’s Out, Buns Out,’ was mainly created using colored pencils with an oil pastel background.
“To me, good company and good food is about as happy as it can get,” Davis states.
Art has always been a significant part of Davis’s life, as her family includes generations of artists dating back to her great-grandparents. Her parents have consistently encouraged her by providing a variety of art supplies and support. She enjoys being able to replicate ideas or images into art pieces that are meaningful to her and credits MJ for helping her recognize her potential and pushing her to create her best work.
“Art has always been something I have enjoyed doing and art classes in school have always seemed to push my capabilities and ultimately help me grow,” Davis states.
This achievement highlights Davis’s passion for art and the support that has helped her grow as an artist. With encouragement from her family and teacher, she hopes to continue to develop her skills and use art as a way to express meaningful ideas and capture the moments in life that matter most.
