Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 2/21/2023
NORTHAMPTON – An art prodigy at Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School received the Silver Key Award in Scholastic’s Art and Writing competition.
Josie Dubay, a self-taught artist and junior at Smith, received the prestigious award for her drawing, “A Meshed Society” which was a project solely created with colored pencils.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing at Smith’s art classroom, Dubay explained that her initial sketches of the drawing devolved into something more palpable and holistic.
After some more drawings, the piece eventually positioned itself in universality, as each component represented a piece of humanity.
“I was just kind of sitting in my room and drawing a couple of eyes and hands, and I was like, ‘this is actually going somewhere,’” Dubay said, when describing her process. “Let me put some more faces down…let me put eyes here and a hand here, and then a face right there’…“I was like, ‘oh, this is going to be a nice piece because I’m combining all of our humanity together.’”
Dubay entered the piece, along with two others, into the National Scholastics Art and Writing Awards, which is a national competition and scholarship program for art and writing. Students who enter their work can either receive an honorable mention, the Silver Key Award or a Gold Key Award. All of the work is nationally recognized, and some are even displayed in Washington D.C.
When Tracey Burke – the art instructor at Smith – found out about these awards, she implored Dubay to submit some work.
“She is very self-motivated and makes art at home self-directed all the time,” said Burke, when describing Dubay. “When I approached art club to enter into this competition, I knew I had to get ahold of Jose to be a part of it.”
Dubay said she always had an interest in art, but she began drawing more when the general malaise of the coronavirus pandemic induced boredom. Consequently, her self-motivation kicked into high gear as she began teaching herself more about the subtleties of drawing.
“When COVID-19 really hit is when I really started self-teaching myself,” Dubay said. “I was all self-taught until last summer when I went to New England Snow Farm’s arts and crafts program.”
It was at New England Snow Farm where Dubay said she learned more about painting techniques as well as other tricks of the trade. She told Reminder Publishing it was her only formal training outside of art class at Smith.
Her autodidactic temperament, which led to this national award, is on full display in myriad other creations, as well.
Aside from “A Meshed Society,” Dubay shared she also enjoys drawing movie stars, superheroes and Star Wars characters.
“I did a colored pencil portrait of the ‘Mandalorian’ in 2021, and I ended up giving it to our principal Mr. [Joseph] Bianca,” Dubay said. “He has it hanging up in his office at home.”
Although Dubay enjoys crafting these larger-than-life stars and characters, the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition summoned an entirely different challenge. Part of the requirements for being eligible for the award was creating something without using the internet. It was a formidable endeavor, but Dubay took it in stride.
While the award is a significant individual achievement, Dubay’s participation in the competition also represented an important milestone for the school.
According to Burke, this year was the first time Smith Vocational has competed in the National Scholastic Art and Writing Competition.
“The art program here is young,” said Burke. “I was brought in in fall of 2018, and that’s when I built the art program.”
When students arrive at Smith, they must take art courses in ninth and 10th grades, and then they have the option to take an art elective in 12th grade.
As the sole teacher and progenitor of Smith’s art program, Burke essentially pilots the entire ship, including a weekly art club that meets every Thursday after school from 2:12 to 3:30 p.m.
“This school does a great job of funding the arts,” said Burke. “Students learn acrylic painting, watercolor, colored pencil, sculpture with plaster-making and mold-making, metal-making with wires, [etc.].”
Dubay entered Smith in 2020, and while her precocious abilities were mainly self-taught, she said the school assisted with her development as an artist.
“[Smith] has helped me envision more,” said Dubay. “I’m able to put things together more, and I just learned a lot of the basic fundamentals during freshman and sophomore year.”
Now, as a junior, Dubay’s determination is paying off and leading to tangible excitement. She told Reminder Publishing that she and her family are traveling to Boston to receive the award during an illustrious ceremony.
With this award firmly solidified, Dubay said she now hopes to continue her artistic pursuits whether it be drawing, painting, art education, or obtaining some type of art degree.
Currently, though, she is enjoying the jubilation.
“I was literally jumping up and down during history class,” she said, referring to her initial reaction upon hearing of her honor. “I was very excited.”