Diocese’s first art gallery night provides students, parents opportunities to view God’s beauty
Three diocesan Catholic School students preview art entries while attending the Nolan Gallery Night on March 6 at Nolan Catholic High School in Fort Worth. (NTC/Christina Benavides)
FORT WORTH — What is art if not an expression of God’s beauty?
On Thursday, March 6, students, parents, and art teachers from schools across the diocese gathered at Nolan Catholic High School for an Art Gallery Night to celebrate the truth, beauty, and goodness found in expressing oneself via art and to recognize the winners of the first diocese-wide art competition.
The competition, which became available to all the diocese’s Catholic sixth to 12th graders at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, challenged students to capture the theme “Deep in the heart of Texas” using their medium of choice. More than 175 students participated, representing nine diocesan schools.
“The purpose of this competition is to promote connection among the Catholic schools in the Fort Worth Diocese and highlight the importance of the fine arts departments and encourage the pursuit of beauty and goodness,” said Nolan art teacher Vicki Crittenden. “You never know what art can do for someone and how, through art, what it can do for the rest of the world.”
Crittenden, with the support of Nolan Head of School Oscar Ortiz, organized the competition to help strengthen the ties between Nolan’s partner schools, but also to be a source of support for her fellow diocesan art teachers.
“I’m hoping that through this art competition, not only will it help kids be more interested in art on their own campus, but also to help create that interest here in Nolan,” Crittenden said.
Often, students and their families withdraw from the extracurricular due to its limited career opportunities; however, there is so much to benefit from learning how to express oneself with art.
“Art does so many things,” Crittenden said. “Through art, students have worked out personal issues they’ve had and their struggles too.”
Sometimes art has helped her students connect back to their faith and offered them an opportunity to reflect on their connection with God, the ultimate artist.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth — so God was and is the first and greatest artist of them all,” the art teacher asserted. “He created beauty in the world, and He created us. Through us, we can show that truth — we just have to be able to be open to hear Him and see Him and how He works in our lives.”
Enjoying the gallery
After the award ceremony in the library, Crittenden invited guests to the art gallery near the school’s art studio. St. Joseph Catholic School art teacher Julie Stahl accompanied five of her students to the gallery night. The competition, she said, presented a wonderful opportunity for vertical alignment between her middle school and elementary level students.
Catherine Hernandez, the art and computer teacher at St. John the Apostle Catholic School in North Richland Hills, said seven of her students submitted an entry to the competition and five of them, along with their families, attended the gallery night.
“We only have art class once a week, so it makes really hard to get anything done,” she admitted. “But the students really put in some effort, and we did watercolor, which is something they’re not used to.
“Those that are here this year are going to spread word of this around, which is really good,” Hernandez continued. “There is something great about being able to do this.”
Third place winner Danny Lesile of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School in Keller commented on his excitement to share his win with his classmates.
“I’ve always really liked art and building things,” the eighth grader shared.
Victory row
A panel of five judges considered 132 of the middle school entries, evaluating the pieces for skill and technique; composition; originality and creativity; and overall craftmanship. Six judges, including an associate professor of art at the University of Texas at Arlington, considered the same rubric requirements for 26 high school entries. First place winners of all grade levels received ribbons as well as brand new iPad Air tablets, which were generous donations from the Ermish family.
While grand prize winner Jenna Poquiz was unable to attend in person due to an ecology field trip, she was present via a video call from her mother’s phone.
“Jenna was actually really blessed that she got to go to St. Joseph [in Arlington] and have that introduction to art competitions and gallery nights,” Karen Poquiz said of her daughter. “And she has really blossomed while at Nolan.”
Upon graduation, Poquiz is considering either pursuing a career in plastic surgery to help children with craniofacial abnormalities — “Which is just beautiful because that is art; that is putting two special talents that she has and God working through her,” Crittenden commented — or to further her artistic abilities at the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design, where she has been accepted to study.
High School Division Winners:
Grand Prize Winner: Jenna Poquiz, Nolan Catholic
Second Place: Liz Lara, Nolan Catholic
Third Place: Lexie Gallegos, Nolan Catholic
Fourth Place: Menzie Canterbury, Nolan Catholic
House Challenge winner: House of Namur
Middle School Division Winners:
First Place
Emma Heyne, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, eighth grade
Emily Redder, St. Andrew, seventh grade
Ryan Davis, Holy Family, sixth grade
Second Place
Diana Uytingco, St. Andrew, eighth grade
Constanza Lara, St. Jospeh, seventh grade
Bryan Tran, St. Joseph, sixth grade
Third Place
Danny Lesile, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, eighth grade
Annabelle Stahl, St. Joseph, seventh grade
Timothy Canterbury, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, sixth grade