Every year, across Texas, a popular art competition is held. Visual Arts Scholastic Event, VASE, is an art competition for students all over the state as it is their UIL competition. Students at Lake Ridge participate by putting all their effort into their different and unique pieces in order to submit them.

Regarding VASE projects, students are able to submit pieces they have done before or completely new art pieces. Each project requires preparation and a genuine time and passion for the art in order to remain motivated. Senior, Kaley Ngo, is looking forward to her pieces since she hopes to create a new one and submit an old piece as well.

“I’ve prepared for VASE by starting on a brand new art piece and submitting an old piece as well. My hopes this year is to qualify for region and then state. I hope to go to the annual Austin field trip for those who make it to state,” stated Ngo.

There are quite a few students who are planning to submit multiple works, putting some pressure on them. Art students who participate in the competition do tend to take this competition quite seriously due to it meaning so much to them. Senior, Brianna Packer, is currently working on two pieces that are different mediums for VASE. One will be 2-dimensional and the other will be 3-dimensional, which could end up taking a while due to art being so intricate.

“I plan on doing two pieces, one that’s 3D and the other one is going to be 2D. I have ideas for both of them and I’ve already sketched them out. I even got all the material for it, it’s going to take a while to get it all together,” stated Packer.

Students are not the only ones who have to deal with the pressure of preparing for VASE. The art teachers are not only teaching their students, but they are also putting together the competition for the students that are competing. They have to organize their systems for each student competing in order to assist them to ensure success. Art teacher, Chamillia Hervey, has to help her students figure out what they want to do for VASE.

“This year, we’re getting ready by finding out the interests of the students and who would like to participate in the event. From there, as soon as they come from winter break, they have been planning and sketching out their projects,” stated Hervey.

First time VASE competitors are typically the most excited for the upcoming competition in February. Especially since they have never competed, they want to be able to experience the excitement of putting their works out there. Freshman, Angelina Tran, doesn’t really care if her piece gets a high score, she just wants to take this as an opportunity to have her work critiqued.

“I hope to just be happy with my project. I want to be able to get it critiqued so I can learn to improve my work from there. It genuinely excites me especially since it is my first year participating,” stated Tran.

Every year, there are at least one or two Lake Ridge students that go to state due to their pieces. With that in consideration, this has led to the art teachers having high hopes for the art students. Hervey believes that the students will do incredibly well due to previous years. The students in the art department tend to take their art quite seriously, making it more fun for most of the teachers to see the outcome.

“Each year I have high hopes for the students. They know that this is our UIL competition. It’s an opportunity for them to exercise their talents, making them want to put forth their best work that they have already completed or hope to complete for the competition,” stated Hervey.

The intentions for competing in VASE varies from student to student. There are some students who have it as a tradition and others who do it to make it to state. Senior, Bhavya Gireesh, enjoys going to VASE because she wants to get her work critiqued professionally and hopefully make it to state.

“I am competing in VASE because it is always something fun to look forward to. I want to get my piece professionally judged because I have hopes of going to state this year. It’s one of my biggest dreams,” stated Gireesh.

VASE is a competition where students from all over the state compete. With that, art students from all over Texas meet other students like them and are able to spend some time with their friends. Being able to spend time with friends is a big part of the fun memories that come from VASE. Senior, Mikaley Applewhite, loves being able to meet new people and spend time with her friends at the competition.

“I’ve done VASE since freshman year and honestly my favorite memory has to be when my friends and I would walk around. We would look at the advanced pieces and see our names as the ones going to state. I hope it’ll be the same this year,” stated Applewhite.

With the competition slowly creeping around the corner, art students are getting their projects together with excitement. Hopefully they all are satisfied with what comes next.