2026 REGIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS
Congratulations to the 24 students from Mercy’s Art Department who won 36 awards in this year’s Regional Scholastic Art Awards competition.
Six Mercy students won gold keys (first place). Gold key winning pieces will also compete in New York for national awards in March. Gold key winning students are: Layla Criswell, Fiona Fountain, Payton Lusky, Ellie Heinicke, Lailah Henderson, and Aurene Stoltz-Bango. Other winning students include: Sydnei Brooks, Avery Clark, Ella Cole, Audrey Dillon, Isobel Giroux, Cree Hollier, Jasmine Joseph, Grace Kim, Audrey Laing, JJ Lukas, Scarlett Menchinger, Audrey Metropulos, Madelyn Robison, Andreea Szabo, Hailey Thostenson, Elizabeth Townsel, Layla Wagner, and Emily Whelan.
| Student First Name | Student Last Name | Grade | Title | Category | Award |
| Payton | Lusky | 9 | Whispers in the Woods | Photography | Gold Key |
| Layla | Criswell | 10 | My Heart Sank | Illustration | Gold Key |
| Ellie | Heinicke | 10 | Bursting with Joy | Drawing | Gold Key |
| Lailah | Henderson | 10 | The Look | Photography | Gold Key |
| Fiona | Fountain | 12 | Celestial Watcher | Illustration | Gold Key |
| Aurene | Stoltz-Bango | 12 | Rinse and Repeat | Photography | Gold Key |
| JJ | Lukas | 9 | Hearthwood Glow | Printmaking | Honorable Mention |
| Payton | Lusky | 9 | Cut Loose | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Audrey | Metropulos | 9 | Butterfly Man | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Isobel | Giroux | 10 | Carved Harvest | Printmaking | Honorable Mention |
| Elizabeth | Townsel | 11 | Rhythm Maker | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Sydnei | Brooks | 12 | Blue Horizon Friend | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Sydnei | Brooks | 12 | Where Quiet Colors Meet | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Grace | Kim | 12 | Celestial Bubbles | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Audrey | Laing | 12 | Behold My Baby Bear | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Aurene | Stoltz-Bango | 12 | Iron It Out | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | Docked | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | She's Getting Older Too | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | A Spotlight of Nature | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Avery | Clark | 9 | Meadow Dreams | Photography | Silver Key |
| Ella | Cole | 10 | Nature's Imprint | Ceramics & Glass | Silver Key |
| Scarlett | Menchinger | 9 | Light Painting in Action | Photography | Silver Key |
| Madelyn | Robinson | 9 | Crimson Silhouette | Photography | Silver Key |
| Andreea | Szabo | 9 | Mirror, Mirror, in my Hand | Photography | Silver Key |
| Layla | Criswell | 10 | Diverse Shades of Me | Drawing | Silver Key |
| Isobel | Giroux | 10 | Remembering | Printmaking | Silver Key |
| Lailah | Henderson | 10 | Felted Field | Mixed Media | Silver Key |
| Lailah | Henderson | 10 | Bubble Puzzle | Photography | Silver Key |
| Audrey | Dillon | 11 | Lake of Possibilities | Drawing | Silver Key |
| Cree | Hollier | 12 | Engulfed | Photography | Silver Key |
| Jasmine | Joseph | 12 | Mother, Savior of Grades | Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage | Silver Key |
| Jasmine | Joseph | 12 | Pool of Curiosities | Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage | Silver Key |
| Aurene | Stoltz-Bango | 12 | A Drastic Change | Drawing | Silver Key |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | Beauty at its Peak | Photography | Silver Key |
| Layla | Wagner | 10 | Ebony | Ceramics & Glass | Silver Key |
| Emily | Whelan | 12 | Hold My FIsh! | Ceramics & Glass | Silver Key |
2026 NCECA Stamps Showcase
Congratulations to Mercy High School art students Hazel Syke '26, Emily Whelan '26, and Ella Cole '28 who collectively had four ceramics pieces accepted to an exhibit called Impressions: A Stamps Pre-College Showcase, exhibiting March 25-28, 2026, at the University of Michigan Detroit Center during the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts NCECA’s Volumes Conference. The official reception will be held on Friday, March 27, from 3:00pm to 4:30pm. Hazel received a first place distinction for one of her entries.
2025 NATIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS
Congratulations to Maeve Casey '25 and Katherine Sarafa '28 who earned national recognition in the 2025 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
Maeve won a silver medal for her ceramic piece titled “Veiled in Purity, Cloaked in Danger”.
Katherine won a silver medal for her photograph titled “Worn Paths”.
These students have been identified by panels of creative professionals as the most talented young artists in the nation with their work being recognized among more than 310,000 works of art and writing submitted to the contest this year. Photos of Maeve and Katherine’s pieces are published in the online gallery at artandwriting.org and their names will also be listed in the 2025 Scholastic Art and Writing Yearbook.
2025 REGIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS
Congratulations to the 33 students from Mercy’s Art Department who won 50 awards in this year’s Regional Scholastic Art Awards competition.
Ten Mercy students won gold keys (first place). Gold key winning pieces will also compete in New York for national awards in March. Gold key winning students are: Maeve Casey, Lailah Henderson, Emery Kolb, Mia Liddell, Penelope Livermore, Sofia Melhado, Mya Sampson, Katherine Sarafa, Marie Schueneman, and Hazel Syke. Other winning students include: Layan Ayad, Tessa Campau, Cassidy Campau, Jillian Collins, Bryce Costa, Jordan Eberwein, Aubrey Gluth, Gianna Ivezaj, Klara Jamalieh, Jasmine Joseph, Lainey Kolb, Mira Kolbusz, Audrey Laing, Yuri Lewis, Mackenzie McDaniel, Lily Offak, Joye Pyronneau, Claire Rogan, Carmela Sam, Lauren Smith, Hailey Thotenson, Emily Whelan, and Avery Wright.
Special congratulations to three senior portfolio students who received honors: Bryce Costa, Gianna Ivezaj, and Penelope Livermore.
2025 YOUNG ARTIST SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBITION
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The Mercy High School Art Department is pleased to announce that two art students, Bryce Costa '25 and Mira Kolbusz '27, had artwork accepted to the Young Artist Scholarship Exhibition sponsored by the Art Leaders Gallery in West Bloomfield Michigan.
2024 TRI-COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ART EXHIBIT
Congratulations to the six Seniors from Mercy’s Art Department who had nine pieces collectively accepted to the Tri-County High School Art Exhibition hosted by Wayne State University’s Department of Art: Bryce Costa, Gianna Ivezaj, Ryley Kline, Penelope Livermore, Mya Sampson and Marie Schueneman. These students captured about 11% of the accepted works!