This year, we had a record number of 810 individual submissions and many high-quality pieces. As we only have one gallery for ArtNow that holds a limited number of physical pieces, selecting the final pieces for the exhibition is a difficult process. Our selection committee saw high merit in each of these honorable mentions and wanted to show appreciation for the thoughtfulness and skill of each artwork. Although these students won’t be exhibiting artists in this year’s exhibition, we wanted to feature their artwork and statements on our blog to honor their effort, talent, and perspective.

Featured Artists

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Caroline Chang, Movements, graphite, pen and ink, marker, colored pencil on paper

Cupertino High School, Grade 9, Instructor: Eva Olsen

My artwork is made to express the transitions between different periods in Earth's history, with various art movements helping to express the transition between a more natural scene to the industrial cityscapes I am familiar with. With modern architecture comes a more modern style, while a more organic style such as impressionism expresses the organic expression of nature. The realistic style of the center and face is a transition between modern and natural scenery.

Nerou Collins, Progress, Color pencil, pen, and paint pen on paper

Abraham Lincoln High School, Grade 10, Instructor: Veronica Rueda

Since my OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) diagnosis at seven, I have struggled with mental health. As I grew, so did the severity of my symptoms. By the time I entered middle school, I was having panic attacks daily and leaving the house became a challenge. At thirteen years old, I entered a treatment program for four months where I began Exposure Response Prevention Therapy. It was extremely difficult but it improved my life substantially. This piece represents my work, my progress, and my fight against OCD. This is me before and after; this is me taking my life back.

Aixia Curlee, Flesh Can Be Warm, Too, oil on canvas

Leigh High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Kim Bartel

All people hit lows and highs in their life. Ultimately, the only person who can pull a person out of their own depressive lows is themselves. The two subjects are two versions of the same person. On the right: a figure desperate for a way out, ready to succumb to a darkness that seems inescapable. On the left: a reflection of the same person - this time saving their past selves. The person on the left found peace, hope, and had the resources to push forward. Now, they reassure their past self that things do get better.

Leilani DeVore, Trail of Tears, Ink, acrylic paint, mixed media paper

Valley Christian High School, Grade 9, Instructor: Karen Dequine

This print is a take on the inside life of the poor mental health I had to manage daily. Through consistent mental exhaustion, you must transition through the day's mundane tasks so your own world still spins and you appear fully functioning. This features a character moving through the day sleeping, teeth brushing, working, and lastly eating which represent basic tasks the average person performs daily connected by a constant set of flowing tears until you're (literally) full of yourself in the end (the character is eating). Exemplifying the seemingly endless loop I was absorbed into, unchanged in routine clockwork.

Henika Flores-Stoupignan, “im tired”, oil pastels

Gunderson High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Salavador Gaeta

For the very first time, I decided to try and pursue a self-portrait. When I look at myself in the mirror, I look at someone who isn’t perceived the same way I perceive myself. I know myself, I know when I’m doing okay, when I’m feeling better than ever, and I ought to know when I’m tired. Overwhelmed is an emotion we all manage to feel at one point, teenagers especially. My piece represents today’s youth, what we shy away from telling the elderly, society’s outcome on us, and most importantly, the power of chaos.

James Gardyne, Apathetic, digital photography

Los Altos High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Jessica Hayes

A blanket of apathetic fog rests over my life. Tearing me away from the joyous childhood, abducting all sense of joy. I see my childhood self, smiling, basking in the sunlight. I desperately pursue him, hoping that some part of him will come, and blow the fog away. Sadly, the years have turned me into something he is not, we are incompatible. I have no choice but to search elsewhere, for the sunlight to blow the fog away.

Jahan Garg, Dragons of Past, digital

Leland High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Stacy Rapoport

The piece represents a transition back into art. More recently, I’ve found that I have started to fall out of love with creating art. I used to enjoy illustrating high fantasy scenes, however, not as much any longer. Through this piece, and literally putting myself into my art, I wanted to show the transition period I am in now, bringing myself back into being someone who loves creating art again.

Lilly Greenberg, The Woes of the Domesticated Silk Moth, digital illustration

Westmont High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Amanda Borges

As a girl transitions from childhood to adolescence and from adolescence to womanhood, she realizes the cruelty of a world that has diminished her role to a perverted degree. The domesticated silk moth, a sickly creature of the night, has lost its ability to fly after generations of exploitation at the hands of mankind, much like the woman’s beautiful process of growth is bounded by society’s restrictions. The projections of the male gaze cut into her innocence, leaving her form jagged and immobile, literally “sick and pale with grief,” whilst her male counterpart flourishes with praise only a butterfly receives.

Maile Jeng, happy (birth)day, acrylic paint on canvas

Los Altos High School, Grade 10, Instructor: Christine An

Birthdays are a day where someone celebrates getting a year older, a year of change. However, this change of getting “older” is just another day of life, there isn’t something dramatically different about one day to the next. I am growing everyday, maybe in small ways and maybe in large ways. It isn’t until I look back on who I once was I realize, inside and out, that I have changed. It didn’t just happen in one night or even one week, it was my life collectively, all those moments that make me who I am.

Michelle Jiang, 18th Birthday, acrylic paint, paper cut, crayons, pens, markers, string, tissues

Lynbrook High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Matthew Reynolds

18th birthdays are the stage of transition between being a kid and an adult. As mine approaches, I wanted to represent letting go of my childhood past—distorted by nostalgia and rose-tinted glasses—and facing the daunting uncertainty in the adult future—surrounded by an obscuring dark mist. They feel symmetrical in weight, their compositions in the piece equally paralleling each other, yet one feels more colorful and the other more clouded. In the middle of both is the present, a late teenager and young adult in this state of transition, celebrating the last birthdays of being a kid.

Cade Lam, Burning Dreams, digital illustration

Los Altos High School, Grade 10, Instructor: Christine An

I’ve spent my childhood wanting to become an artist, but now that I’m approaching adulthood and have to commit to a career path, I doubt whether or not I actually want to pursue art. I had the desire to be an artist in the future but now I feel like I am forcing myself to be an artist because I do not have any other career options. Art used to be enjoyable and fulfilling, but now it can feel meaningless and hollow. I wonder about what brought this change and if my feelings about art will ever change again.

Haley Lee, Into a New Horizon, acrylic and golden acrylic paint on cardboard

Leigh High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Jongmin Lim

From my birth through childhood, I found comfort in the protection of my caregivers, who nurtured my naive self. Now, having matured enough to venture beyond the rims of my pot, I am transplanted into a broader horizon that unlocks my full potential. Painting the sky with an upward motion, I depict a sapling reaching towards the golden light—a symbol of life and hope in the face of uncertainty during this transformative journey. I extend her roots into the rich soil of experience, cultivating knowledge and embracing the expansion that comes with diverse encounters.

Sophia Liu, Shattered; Bloom, soft pastel, colored pencil, tissue paper, blue drawing paper

Harker Upper School, Grade 11, Instructor: Pilar Aguero-Esparza

My grandma told me, in the way that old Chinese grandparents often impart wisdom, that I am initially a blank piece of paper, and it is up to me how I inscribe and fold this paper into something beautiful. I may be a tabula rasa, but the world surrounding me is also waiting for my inscriptions. After etching the last line, I tore out half of my face. Paper tissue flowers, golden and blood red, sprouted from the gaping black hole that was once the right side of my eye and jaw. Rather than destruction, there was bloom.

Crystal Nguyen, Carousel of My Life, Photoshop

Independence High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Virginia Ingelfinger

From the finite amount of years I've existed for, I've grown to be someone my younger self would be proud of. Built of experiences, dreams, and connections, I look back and reminisce on who I used to be, to who I am now. I visit the fond nostalgic elements of my childhood through a carousel, guided by my stuffed animals that I've had for years. Whatever life spins at me, I'm eager to experience it.

Mahati Ramakrishnan, Metamorphosis, acrylic paint, handmade paper, and gel medium on paper

Lynbrook High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Matthew Reynolds

Sometimes, we want to grow out of our confines to explore the world, but a restricting force acts upon us to hold us back. My piece represents the uneasy transition of being in limbo between spaces that are familiar to us and the boundless world around. The cocoon represents the close confines that the the girl is stuck in. Despite not reaching her full potential at this moment, glimpses of her complete metamorphosis are beginning to take place before our eyes; the cocoon has an opening, and the butterflies allude to a newfound freedom.

Justin Reyes, bane, digital photography

Independence High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Jon Bischofberger

In the delicate dance between past, present, and future, my art comes to life as a mirror reflecting deep thoughts and personal growth, which I have had throughout my entire life. Each evolution of butterflies shapes how much I’ve changed and grown. Making art is like seeing a caterpillar turn into a butterfly: an ongoing journey of discovering more about myself. A dark butterfly signifies renewal and change, symbolizing courage, perseverance, and hope during tough times. The brightest butterflies symbolize my personal growth, a transformation shaped by the support and influence of friends and family throughout my life.

YunHee Shin, Culture Shock, pen/ink, acrylic, and poster color

Westmont High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Amanda Borges

This piece is about expressing how culture shock feels. it is all foreign and the reason why the person in the corner is only black and white is because it shows that they think of themselves as "normal" and showing the burst of colors and abnormality everywhere when they go to a new place shows the contrast between you and the rest of the world. I used a personal experience when I went to New York for the first time when adjusting to the new environment that I was not used to.

Mabel Tan, Metamorphosis, acrylic paint on canvas, gouache on watercolor paper, fabric

Homestead High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Eva Olsen

Aging in life is such a beautiful, yet terrifying experience. As confusing as it is to move inevitably towards an unknown chapter in life, it is also part of the wonder and excitement of what life may bring to us. Notice the clothing on each figure, and how the skin changes- throughout each transitory stage, despite its difference in appearance, still has the former person that remains unaltered. This piece showcases the beauty of each transitory state of life, and that to live is to accept the unknown with open arms.

Milla Tritchkova, Shifted Perspectives, oil on chipboard

German International School of Silicon Valley, Grade 11, Instructor: Svetlana Teplova

Shifted Perspectives' is a snapshot of my journey from childhood to adulthood, captured in a vibrant fisheye-lensed airplane selfie. The distorted reality mirrors profound shifts, while bright colors symbolize the spectrum of challenges and triumphs in personal growth. Embracing change, as urged by Nikki Giovanni, the artwork invites viewers to reflect on their own transitions. Through this dynamic portrayal, I celebrate the temporal, emotional, and constructive aspects of this fundamental life stage, connecting with others navigating the intricate path of change and discovery.

Julianne Tsai, Tribute to Fantasy, digital illustration, digital video, animation

Monta Vista High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Brian Chow

A melancholy tribute to the world of imagination for being an escape from the dreadful reality of real-life. The make-believe has helped people through difficult times and has been a tool as well as a stepping stone for many who are searching for their place in society. This piece reflects a personal tribute to the fantasy worlds that kept me going from online school in freshman year to my eventual graduation in senior year. I remember it fondly as I re-enter reality and take a step into the next stage of my life.

Emma Wang, Reflection, Watercolor on paper

Menlo School, Grade 11, Instructor: Eva Olsen

My painting represents the transition from childhood into adulthood, and evoking the nostalgia for childhood. The colors in my painting shift from saturated blues and oranges to grayer tones; this represents the transition from the carefreeness of childhood, to growing up and facing reality. As I grow older and learn more about the world around me, it feels a lot bigger and more overwhelming than I thought it was when I was a kid.

Samantha Wilcox, Hearts Drift, digital illustration

Los Gatos High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Alex Czech

This piece is an exploration of the transition of childhood to adult friendships. The squatting figure is my best friend since birth named Aixia, who is looking into the distance symbolizing our anticipation for the future. The standing girl represents me. My head is obscured, representing our diverging paths as we head off to different colleges. The matching dresses are a nod to the our 18 years of shared memories, as well as the orange underpainting, our favorite color. This artwork celebrates a friendship that withstands life's transitions and changes. No matter distance or time, true connection is unbreakable.

Tiffany Xu, Echoes of Progress, digital illustration

Homestead High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Eva Olsen

Being an artist means we continuously undergo transitive periods: when our style or process is drastically changing searching for new inspiration. In this piece, I encapsulated this journey, intertwining my current work with older pieces, creating a visual timeline of my personal artistic growth. Each older piece is a unique checkpoint reflecting the different inspirations I had at the time of creation showing the evolution of my changing style. Though I may cringe at old or hated pieces, they are important reminders of past struggles or foundations that have shaped my art into what it is today.

Kexin Zhu, Staccato, Legato, color pencil and marker on paper

Leland High School, Grade 9, Instructor: Eva Olsen

Music has been an integral part of my life. While I play piano, each keystroke carries the weight of my emotions, painting the canvas of my life with vibrant melodies. Through the highs and lows, music has been my constant companion, a sanctuary where I find solace and strength. In my art piece, I demonstrated three different stages of my life with various groups of colors, and how music shapes my experiences and emotions. I am grateful to music for being a companion through my life, and supporting me along my journey.