031825...R ART SHOW 1...Howland...03-18-25...Lakeview HS student Camryn Ross, 17, of Bazetta, left, and her mother Rachel Ross view artworks on display at the Medici Museum during the Trumbull County Educational Service Center 2025 High School Art Show Tuesday evening...by R. Michel Semple

HOWLAND — A passion for reading and access to small, colorful pieces of ceramic tile, some fake moss, stones and an unused old book coupled with independent time to work helped Olivia Frantz create “Fairy Garden.”

“My class was doing a tunnel book where it was a book coming to life, so I took an actual book and I made a fairy garden come out of it,” Frantz, a senior at Joseph Badger High School, said. “I like reading, so I decided to use an actual book and make it into a fairy garden.”

“If I were in Advanced Art, I would have to do project after project and I wouldn’t be able to keep up.”

Frantz, who worked on “Fairy Garden’s” intricate pieces bit by bit since October, was rewarded for her months of effort, winning first place in the mixed media category Tuesday at the annual Trumbull County Educational Service Center (TCESC) High School Art Show at the Medici Museum of Art.

She was just one of 104 students who participated in the show, which featured more than 140 art pieces in four categories across 16 Trumbull County school districts.

Laurie Trotter, a coordinator at the educational service center, has coordinated this event for the past several years, and explained she hops onto art shows and resources for art teachers as she plans professional development throughout the school year.

Trotter said they were “very lucky” to have Medici provide support for children’s programs — especially in the arts — thanking them and people such as TCESC Superintendent Michael Hanshaw and Assistant Superintendent Robert Marino Jr., who also supervises curriculum instruction.

Above all, however, she wanted to focus on the artists.

“Most importantly, it’s the students — if you get an art piece displayed here tonight, you’re already a winner,” Trotter said. “I’m glad there’s a community (that) can come here on this night and see what Medici has on display.”

Outside of the four award categories — Mixed Media, 3-D, Juror’s and Digital — students also had the chance to win the People’s Choice award, which was voted on by 1,610 voters, and the $500 Love Life Foundation Art Scholarship, which is given to a high school senior studying arts or a related field at an accredited college or university.

This year’s art show had Weathersfield students sweeping both special categories, with Aubrey Maglis winning People’s Choice for her 3D art piece “Snacks Before Dinner” with 27% of the total votes and Sydney Wyllie taking the Love Life Scholarship for her piece, “Traveling Memories.”

Weathersfield art teacher Gina Monaco, who was in her first year teaching high school art classes after years at the elementary school level, was proud of both of her students.

“It’s a great honor; I’m very, very proud, they worked very hard on all of their art projects,” Monaco said.

Maglis, who also claimed first place in the 3D category, admitted it was “really exciting” to see Monaco again as her teacher.

“I didn’t really have the chance to have art in high school and this year I have two classes with her, so it’s just really exciting to have her back,” Maglis said. “I was really surprised to win the People’s Choice (award), because we don’t have a lot of people in our school.”