Viewing artwork called “Live” by Kayla Wasil at the reception Friday for the annual Butler County High School Art Exhibit are, from left, Jake Brandon, a freshman at St. Francis of Loretto College, Mars High School senior Rachel Szymkowiak, and Seneca Valley junior Jenelle Aromatorio. The exhibit continues through March 20 at The Art Center, 344 S. Main St.Viewing artwork called "Live" by Kayla Wasil at the reception Friday for the annual Butler County High School Art Exhibit are, from left, Jake Brandon, a freshman at St. Francis of Loretto College, Mars High School senior Rachel Szymkowiak, and Seneca Valley junior Jenelle Aromatorio. The exhibit continues through March 20 at The Art Center, 344 S. Main St.

Local students make the grade at the annual Butler County High School Art Exhibit which opened last weekend at The Art Center at 344 S. Main St.

The show features more than 150 works of art from students in the Butler, Karns City, Knoch, Mars and Seneca Valley school districts. The show will remain on display through March 20.

Student works were judged by Tiffany London McClymonds, a 1998 graduate of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City and a 2003 graduate with a bachelor of fine arts in painting from Montana State University.

The exhibit includes digital art, photography, oil/acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, pen and ink, pastel/charcoal, clay, fiber arts and mixed media.

Two Seneca Valley students are two-for-two in their latest art shows.

Those Seneca Valley students won first places at the Pittsburgh Technical Institute and at the AABC show, according to Jim Nagle, Seneca Valley art teacher.

"Senior Emily Vrana and junior Jenelle Aromatorio won first places in both shows. Emily won first place at PTI for an oil pastel and won first place at Butler for a linoleum block print," Nagle said. "Jenelle won first places for photography. She won for two different photos."

<table width="300" height="275" border="0" align="right" valign="top" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><embed src="/assets/mov/BE6555237.MOV" width="320" height="250" autostart="true" loop="false" ></embed></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/" target="_blank"><span class="style11">Requires Quicktime Media Player </a><br><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Times New Roman">Video by Brandon Gerthoffer</font></span><td></tr></table>Vrana has been accepted to Duquesne University for their prepharmacy program. Aromatorio was hoping to attend the Pennsylvania Governor School for the Arts this summer. "Unfortunately because of the economy, that program was eliminated last week by the state," Nagle said."The Seneca Valley art department will be entering the National Printmaking competition in Chicago sponsored by the Blick Art Supply Company," Nagle said. "Approximately 30 works will be entered."Only five high school works are recognized with awards in that competition each year and SV had one of them last year," he added.Anne Wilson, one of the art teachers at Butler High School, was impressed with the work on display in the high school exhibit. "I do believe though that each student who entered the art show was a winner," she said. "They believed in themselves and their work to risk entering it in a public art show with their peers."Wilson offers high praise for the families of the students as well as for The Art Center for hosting a show that showcases the young local talent."I was thrilled to see so many parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends and teachers present, cheering on the student artists," Wilson said. "I also thank the Associated Artists of Butler County for having the show especially since it is currently all run by volunteers. It is so important for each student in Butler County to be supported in their education in such a way."