The Shelby County Schools Board of Education hosted a vibrant celebration on January 22, 2025, at The Shelby Room in Alabaster, showcasing the creative talents of students across the district during the annual Superintendent’s Art Show. The event featured a diverse array of artwork, culminating in the announcement of winners from various grade categories.
Allison Campbell, the supervisor of fine arts for Shelby County Schools, presented the winners and highlighted the significance of the event. “This is one of our favorite events because we’re able to pause and take a chance to truly appreciate the creativity and hard work of our students,” Campbell remarked.
The competition recognized outstanding artists in multiple categories. For the Kindergarten through third grade, the first-place winner was Oliver Quinn from Oak Mountain Elementary School. Other top placements included Rosie Paul in second place and Samantha Portillo in third. The fourth and fifth places were awarded to Ben Renno from Inverness Elementary School and Clara Deal from Helena Elementary School, respectively.
In the fourth through sixth grade category, Evelyn Bush from Oak Mountain Intermediate School took first place. Addilyn Rose and Nevaeh Know followed in second and third places, with Avery Green and Emily Martinez rounding out the top five.
The seventh and eighth grade winners included Deniz Altinel from Oak Mountain Middle School in first place and Grant Smith from Columbiana Middle School in second. An honorable mention was awarded to Alexa Gutierrez from Montevallo Middle School.
For the ninth and tenth grades, the top honors went to Darah Gomez from Oak Mountain High School and Autumn Wojtkielewicz from Montevallo High School. The second category for this group saw Jackson Hall from Chelsea High School win first place, followed by Curt Cashion, also from Chelsea High School.
In the eleventh and twelfth grade category, first place was awarded to a student from Helena High School, with Victoria Nguyen from Chelsea High School taking second. An honorable mention was given to Glory Strickland from Helena High School.
The winning art pieces, totaling eighteen entries—ten from elementary and eight from secondary levels—will be sent to compete at the state level. Dr. Lewis Brooks, the Superintendent, expressed appreciation for the art teachers who nurture the students’ talents. “We’re just so grateful for each of you and how you cultivate the talent that we have in our school district,” Brooks stated.
Following the announcement of place-winners and honorable mentions, the event also recognized the recipients of the Superintendent’s Choice Award. The winners, personally selected by Dr. Brooks, included Oliver Quinn, Mattie Scoggins from Elvin Hill Elementary School, and Connor Crossland from Oak Mountain Middle School.
In addition to the art show, the Shelby County Schools Board of Education conducted routine business. The board approved the minutes from the December 16 meeting, sanctioned one out-of-state field trip, and reviewed the payroll and monthly expenditures from December 2025. Other actions included the approval of TEAMS contracts, personnel actions, bids from three architects, and two change orders.
The next board meeting is scheduled for February 19, 2025, to continue discussions on various school matters. The meeting will take place at The Shelby Room at the Shelby County Instructional Services Center, starting at 17:00.
