Seven Cherokee County Students Earn Spots in Competitive Atlanta High School Art Exhibition

Artists from Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, and Sequoyah high schools will display work at the competitive statewide juried show April 10-12 in Piedmont Park

Seven Cherokee County School District students will hang their work alongside the best young artists in Georgia this spring after earning spots in the Atlanta High School Art Exhibition — a competitive juried show that draws hundreds of submissions from student artists statewide. Their pieces go on display April 10-12 at Piedmont Park in Atlanta as part of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival, one of the Southeast's longest-running arts celebrations.

What makes the selection notable isn't just the number of students chosen — it's the sweep. All four CCSD high schools are represented, a clean showing that reflects the depth of the district's visual arts programs rather than a single standout school or teacher.

From Cherokee High School, Hailey Becker was selected for "Hotel Ritter," a richly detailed rendering of a historic building facade, and Grace Dai for "Jai," a striking oil-style portrait with warm, burnished tones — both working under art teacher Morgan Clifton. Creekview High School sends Julia Eltarawy's "Ruffles in Bloom" and Nick Purcell's "Glass Garden," a pair of ceramic sculptures guided by art teacher Leslie Babcock. Etowah High School's Liv Powell earned her spot with "Kaleidoscope," a vivid acrylic painting of stylized figures in bold color, under the instruction of art teacher Shannah Dean. Sequoyah High School contributes two selections: Alexandra Proano Bravomalo's "Anatomy Study," a meticulous pencil study of the human figure, and Law Soe's "Sea Horse Scrimshaw," an intricately worked three-dimensional piece — both students of art teacher Kellie Fallon.

Taken together, the seven works span drawing, painting, ceramics, and mixed media — pencil figure studies, hand-built ceramic sculpture, oil portraiture, and acrylic painting among them. That range is no accident. It reflects what CCSD's art teachers are actually putting in front of students: a serious, broad-based curriculum that treats high school art as more than an elective.

The Atlanta High School Art Exhibition is a juried competition, meaning professional judges review and select submissions before any work is accepted for display. Getting in is not a participation exercise. Earning a spot places these seven Cherokee County students among the top young artists in Georgia, competing against submissions from schools across the entire state.

The backdrop matters, too. The Atlanta Dogwood Festival has anchored Atlanta's spring cultural calendar for decades, drawing tens of thousands of visitors to Piedmont Park each year. Student artists in the high school exhibition don't show in a separate, tucked-away corner — their work goes up alongside professional and established artists in one of the region's most visible public art settings. For a high schooler from Canton or Woodstock, that's a different kind of audience than a school hallway display.

Cherokee County residents who want to see the work in person can visit Piedmont Park during the April 10-12 exhibition window. More information is available at ahsae.info.