Venice High’s arts are a celebrated aspect of our school community and programs. Recently, multiple students were recognized for their achievements in different art mediums, including painting and music. 

The annual David Watkins Art Grant, awarded by the Venice High Arts Guild committee, was given to junior Victoria Estrada and sophomores Temo Garcia and Volodymyr Soputnyak to recognize them for their achievements. 

Temo Garcia, the lead trumpet player in the marching band, won the $250 award after submitting a video of him playing the trumpet, an instrument he’s been practicing for almost a decade.

Garcia said that he saw this contest as an opportunity to be recognized for his dedication to the art. 

“I wanted to show my talents and everything I’ve learned from the trumpet,” he said. 

 Additionally, the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce in Westchester hosted an art contest in January, in which nearly 15 L.A.U.S.D. and charter schools competed across all grade levels. 

For the second year in a row, Venice High students won first, second, and third place for their submissions.

This year’s theme was “celebrations,” and later, an art show will showcase their paintings, according to art teacher Tyler Fister. 

Junior Grecia Bedolla, who won first place in the contest, centered her watercolor piece around her culture and Hispanic Heritage Month. It featured Plaza Veracruz, a famous plaza in Mexico. Once a year, the plaza hosts the Veracruz Festival, a cultural showcase in which dances, music, and parades take place. 

Bedolla’s lifelong passion for art drove her not only to participate in the contest, but also to challenge her skills by exploring new mediums.

 “I do a lot of pencil or charcoal. Using watercolor for this piece was really hard, because it’s more difficult to control,” Bedolla said.

The second place winner, junior Ester Sanchez, said that she decided to enter her piece because of the theme, which resonated with her and her life experiences. 

“When I saw the theme was ‘celebration,’ I was thinking about Oaxaca in Mexico, so I wanted to incorporate my family into it.”

She described her art as depicting a colorful event, with dances and performances on the street where people are gathered. 

Similarly, junior Valentin Bautista was inspired by his family in his journey as an artist. 

“Growing up, my sister was a great inspiration to me, because she drew a lot, and I would just admire her art,” Bautista said. 

His piece depicted a man wearing a mariachi uniform and a skull painted on his face.

“Since the theme was celebration, my piece was about what you would normally wear in Mexican culture to a celebration.”

Fister described Venice’s vibrant art community, and how he is proud to see students explore and push themselves artistically. 

“I think that Venice has some really talented artists, and when students take the step outside of Venice with confidence and they get the affirmation of their talent from outside organizations. It’s really cool to see,” he said. 

Venice High’s arts are a celebrated aspect of our community and programs. Recently, multiple students were recognized for their achievements in different art mediums, including painting and music. 

The annual David Watkins art grant, awarded by the Venice High Arts Guild committee, was given to Volodymyr Soputnyak, Victoria Estrada, and Temo Garcia to recognize them for their achievements. 

Sophomore Temo Garcia, the lead trumpet player in the marching band, won the $250 award after submitting a video of him playing the trumpet, an instrument he’s been practicing for almost a decade.

Garcia expressed that he saw this contest as an opportunity to be recognized for his dedication to the art. 

“I wanted to show my talents and everything I’ve learned from the trumpet,” he said. 

 Additionally, the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce in Westchester hosted an art contest in January, in which nearly 15 L.A.U.S.D. and Charter schools competed across all grade levels. 

For the second year in a row, Venice High students won first, second, and third place for their submissions.

This year’s theme was “celebrations,” and later, an art show will showcase their paintings, according to art teacher Tyler Fister. 

Junior Grecia Bedolla, who won first place in the contest, centered her watercolor piece around her culture and Hispanic Heritage Month. 

“I did my piece about the famous plaza, Plaza Veracruz,” she said. 

Once a year, the plaza hosts the Veracruz Festival, a cultural showcase in which dances, music, and parades take place. 

“I wanted to illustrate that,” said Bedolla. 

Her lifelong passion for art drove her not only to participate in the contest, but also to challenge her skills by exploring new mediums.

 “I do a lot of pencil or charcoal. Using watercolor for this piece was really hard, because it’s more difficult to control,” Bedolla said.

The second place winner, junior Ester Sanchez, said that she decided to enter her piece because of the theme, which resonated with her and her life experiences. 

“When I saw the theme was ‘celebration,’ I was thinking about Oaxaca in Mexico, so I wanted to incorporate my family into it.”

She described her art as depicting a colorful event, with dances and performances on the street where people are gathered. 

Similarly, junior Valentin Bautista was inspired by his family in his journey as an artist. 

“Growing up, my sister was a great inspiration to me because she drew a lot, and I would just admire her art,” Bautista said. 

His piece depicted a man wearing a mariachi uniform and a skull painted on his face.

“Since the theme was celebration, my piece was about what you would normally wear in Mexican culture to a celebration.”

Fister described Venice’s vibrant art community, and how he is proud to see students explore and push themselves artistically. 

“I think that Venice has some really talented artists, and when students take the step outside of Venice with confidence and they get the affirmation of their talent from outside organizations, it’s really cool to see.”