The Visual Arts Scholastic Event, or VASE, is a competition where students submit art pieces to be recognized for their skills. These art pieces vary with mediums and meanings, but all of them are an expression of the artist’s skill and passion for the arts. This competition carries a lot of emotion, especially for the winners, and even the teachers who watch them grow throughout their time in class.
The 2026 Texas State VASE competition took place in San Marcos, Texas, on April 24th and April 25th. The competition has three levels, district, regional, and state, with students representing the district at state traveling over three hours to compete.
The 2026 VASE competition allowed a variety of mediums, including acrylic paintings, digital animated shorts, and photography, which lets students express themselves to the fullest with their preferred medium. Junior Yusuf Dorsett chose ceramic sculpture as his medium.
“I like clay the most. My sister’s a ceramicist. I want to get the best image, and 3D is just what I found to work. I used to do 2D. I went to a VASE for that a couple years ago, but since I started ceramics, I just fell in love,” Dorsett said.
Art pieces usually have meaning attached, especially if the artist has worked on them for a while. Pieces submitted for a VASE competition are especially meaningful to the artists. Senior Amaya Juarbe Lopez grew attached to the ceramics piece she submitted.
“At first, it didn’t [have meaning] because I just played with the coils while making it, but then I added meaning to it. It was a vine going through a set of three plates, and so I added the meaning of going through life and [being] ever-changing,” Juarbe Lopez said.
Participating in a VASE competition can become an unforgettable memory for many, being a source of pride for the artist. It often inspires and challenges the artists to do their best work. Senior Chloe Abrego is glad she was able to represent her school at the competition.
“Overall, it was a good experience. It’s definitely not for beginner artists. It can break their spirit if it really doesn’t go how they want, but it was nice to do and be a part of. I am very happy, very proud. I mean, we had a Gold Seal from Yusuf, so it was pretty good,” Abrego said.
Winning in any competition is a big honor, as competitors represent their passion and talent. VASE is no exception to that, as it allowed the artists to not only represent their school, but share their love for art. Dorsett won a Gold Seal, the highest award a student can win at VASE.
“I was pretty surprised. I didn’t expect to win anything going into it. I kind of thought that I was just going to go there and not win anything, but then I was the only person who won the Gold Seal in MISD,” Dorsett said.
Even those who don’t earn a medal still enjoy the display of the submitted art pieces at VASE. Junior Aubrey Price appreciated the opportunity to see creativity from across the region and in her own school.
“I felt like [VASE] went really well. I didn’t win or anything, but I got the highest score in both my pieces. And I don’t really expect to win every year, because there’s some really talented people, but for me, it’s just the experience of being able to see so many different artists be able to do one competition. Lake Ridge has really good artists in it, especially in art classes. So I felt like we were able to make some really cool pieces together, and I was able to [get to] know my friends,” Price said.
This kind of appreciation is also visible to the art teachers who encourage, help, and support their VASE-participating students with their submissions. Art teacher Mary Boyd-Long is glad to support her students in VASE competitions.
“It’s great. They’re very excited, it looks great on college resumes, and like I said, just seeing them go through the entire process of VASE and meeting with the judges and talking about their artwork, and then seeing all the amazing artwork from around DFW at the competition, it really kind of sparks a fire in them,” Boyd-Long said.
With how dedicated students are to their artistic craft, they often choose to take art classes year after year, which builds strong bonds with their art teachers and other passionate students. Ceramics teacher Chamillia Hervey is grateful to witness her students growth over the years.
“Absolutely I’ve seen them grow, not only in skill set, but in maturity, and develop more as artists. For example, Chloe, when she first came in, I saw so much potential, but she struggled with time management of projects. This year, she killed it. She’s grown with her time management. She’s pushing the boundaries, challenging herself. It’s really cool to see that,” Hervey said. “Also, once [students] get here, they kind of stay put, and so they’re able to build a community as well. It’s always really fulfilling to see how far they’ve come from their beginning years.”
The VASE competition allows talented student artists to present their artwork, be recognized for their skill, and witness other inspiring works from across the region. Through their passion, practice, and dedication in art classes, they cultivate their skills and community, opening the door to potentially win highly-acclaimed medals with their talent.
