Natalie Rivera, a senior at Nelson County High School, has won the “triple crown” of K through 12 art in the 2024-2025 school year.
With one picture, Rivera won three regional or higher art competitions. Especially in sports, but also in the arts, scoring three regional wins is uncommon.
Rivera’s graphite-on-paper drawing is a strikingly realistic picture. The self-portrait, which was drawn from life and from various reference images, is also symbolic: the flowers, bandage and other clues refer to a personal story of struggle and overcoming difficulties. Rivera titled the picture “Flowering Wounds.”
When entering the national Gold Key awards, Rivera wrote a description of the remarkable image:
“What we’re looking at here is my graphite self-portrait. The artwork, however, includes symbolism. The overall meaning of this artwork is to be able to endure, overcome and heal from difficult experiences, while starting over and hoping for a brighter future. White carnations symbolize a new start, or ‘good luck’ wishes. While baby’s breath flowers symbolize good fortune and prosperity. The band aid represents the need for self-care, and the flowers it holds symbolize growth and beauty. Both things put together symbolize the ability to heal from past challenges.”
The Gold Key awards, also known as the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, are a century-old national youth arts contest program based in New York City with many famed names among its past winners, including Andy Warhol, Stephen King, Ken Burns, John Updike, John Lithgow, Alan Arkin, Truman Capote, Joyce Carol Oates and Ezra Jack Keats.
In that prestigious competition, Rivera’s picture earned a coveted Silver Key award, which is a multi-state/U.S.-subnational victory.
In a recognition letter to Nelson County High Art Teacher Terry Ward, Gold Key organizer Emir Webster said “[Natalie’s artwork] was reviewed and recognized by a panel of creative professionals, and awarded for its outstanding merit in originality, skill and the emergence of a personal voice and vision.”
“Winning a Silver Key is an epic honor; dang, it’s once-in-a-lifetime. The picture was a champion from among all the states east of the Mississippi River, from Maine to North Carolina. Amazing!” Ward said.
Rivera’s “Flowering Wounds” also won a “Best in Show” award at the Daura Museum of Art’s regional, selective Annual High School Invitational Art Exhibit. The Daura exhibit included the best artwork from the best nine high school art programs throughout central Virginia.
Nelson County High also learned that Rivera’s drawing earned yet-another regional victory: second place prize in the regional youth art competition of the Virginia School Boards Association.
Rivera’s “triple crown” wins come during what Ward has called NCHS’ “winningest” year for artistic students. In addition to Rivera’s stellar accomplishments, NCHS students had regional, state and national wins including:
~ Eight Nelson County High students had a national win by having their art accepted into a Smithsonian-affiliate gallery’s global teen art competition.
~ Nelson County High student Marcus Briggs’ art-image titled “Friends at School” continues to be on exhibit in the U.S. Capitol complex after having won the Congressional Art Competition (5th District of Virginia).
~ Multiple Nelson County High students have had their digital art published on highway billboards from Richmond to Virginia Beach, Lynchburg to Roanoke.
“I hope Natalie Rivera is able to continue making art after high school. You seldom encounter a young person able to draw like Michelangelo. Natalie Rivera does,” Ward said.
Related stories:
Look at that billboard: Nelson County High students design images for community messages
Nelson County student’s photo wins Congressional Art Contest
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Rebecca Barnabi
