ARTEFFECT: Unsung Heroes Exhibit on View in PRP Main Lobby May–September 2025

Some amazing student artwork created for the 2025 Lowell Milken ARTEFFECT Competition will be included in a school-wide exhibit in the Main Lobby of Pleasure Ridge Park High School through September 2025. In addition to the school-wide exhibit, the Southwest branch of the Louisville Free Public Library will also host a special exhibit of the work created during Summer 2025.

The inspiring stories of the Unsung Heroes are at the core of the ARTEFFECT initiative. These stories span the centuries and cut across multiple disciplines, including STEAM, social justice, the environment, wartime history, and education. This diversity is underscored by the varying and challenging circumstances each Unsung Hero confronted–and overcame–through their unique insights and heroic actions. 

ARTEFFECT is a growing initiative focused on fostering art education through multifaceted opportunities for teachers and students, including advocacy, recognition, exhibitions, educational resources, and professional development opportunities. ARTEFFECT aims to encourage all those who believe in the profound impact one individual makes and the power of art to inspire and advance the collective whole.

https://www.lowellmilkencenter.org/

ARTEFFECTS Teacher Ambassadorship Brings Project-Based Learning to PRP Visual Art Classes

 I’m thrilled to share that I have been selected as an @arteffectlmc 2024-2025 ARTEFFECT Ambassador! I have guided students through the ARTEffects competition for the past two years, and decided to apply to be an ambassador for this school year. It’s been a wonderful experience to collaborate and learn new teaching strategies from the cohort of amazing ARTEffects educators.

ARTEFFECT Ambassadors is an online fellowship for educators working directly with students in grades 6-12 to foster the visual arts. Ambassadors learn from and alongside other high-level practitioners through visual-arts-based learning about the inspiring and diverse stories of Unsung Heroes from history. During the school year, the Ambassadors cohort participates in virtual professional development sessions and completes an innovative capstone project that engages their classrooms and communities.

As an ARTEffects Ambassador, I have developed a Capstone Project highlighting students’ Unsung Heroes artwork and impact statements. The ARTEffects project was launched in my Art 2/Art3/Art 4 classes in January 2025, and students have been working diligently to create narrative art that tells the story of their chosen hero. They have conducted extensive research, gathered reference images, collaborated in groups as they’ve developed their ideas and their artwork, and are now writing Impact statements. The Southwest Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library will host an ARTEffects Exhibit this summer, featuring the work my students have created. A special section for ARTEffects will be featured in the Spring/2025 issue of the PRP Pulse. Artworks will be spotlighted with an online gallery and displayed in a school-wide exhibit. Stay tuned…I will begin posting artwork in an online gallery (here) in the coming weeks.

I’m excited to embark on my journey sharing the inspiring stories of history’s #UnsungHeroes through #visualarts education and #artsintegration.

#arteffect, #unsungheroes, #arteducation, #visualart, #middleschool, #highschool, #artteachers, #artsintegration, #PBL, #artfellowship, #art #jcps

Art Students Honored at KY Derby Museum’s “Horsing Around With Art” Awards Ceremony

We agree! What a great night honoring amazing local student artists who were recognized at the March 4th ceremony at the KY Derby Museum. PRP Art students rocked this year’s competition! Student work will remain on view through April.

Victor Aldrete, 12th, 1st PLACE, High School Division
Brooklyn Smothers, 11th, HONORABLE MENTION, High School Division
Kayci Shacklette, 10th, WINSTAR GRAND PRIZE (Overall Winner)
Jocelyn Ramirez Guiterrez, 12th (bottom center)

PRP Sophomore Wins Grand Prize In Kentucky Derby Museum’s 39th Annual Art Competition

Story reprinted from LEO Weekly Magazine, 2/3/2025
Written by Ezra Knapp

On January 27th, 2025, Kayci Shacklette, a sophomore attending Pleasure Ridge Park (PRP) High School was announced as the Kentucky Derby Museum’s Grand Prize Winner for their 39th annual Horsing Around With Art (HAWA) art competition.

Shacklette’s winning artwork, The Final Furlong, will be framed and displayed on the second floor of the museum from January 27th through April 18th. Museum leaders and PRP representatives surprised Shacklette with the news, gifting her a dozen red roses to celebrate the accomplishment. She received a Spring Race Day Experience prize package sponsored by Churchill Downs, and the PRP High School art department received $500 to purchase art supplies.

The competition this year drew 255 applicants, ranging across grades 1-12, and showcasing a variety of art styles and mediums. The Grand Prize is presented to the student whose artwork best embodies the spirit of the Kentucky Derby. Shacklette’s piece was praised by Mike Anderson, Churchill Downs Racetrack President, who stated in a press release, “The Final Furlong truly captures the spirit of the Kentucky Derby as thousands of fans cheer during the final stretch of the most exciting two minutes in sports.”

Patrick Armstrong, President and CEO of the Kentucky Derby Museum, explained the core purpose of the HAWA competition: “Horsing Around With Art is our way of supporting and funding the arts in local schools while encouraging students to explore their creativity through the lens of the Kentucky Derby. We are honored to celebrate the incredible talent of these young artists and provide a platform to showcase their work for our community.”

The museum will distribute a total of $6,000 in prizes to the winning schools’ art departments. A special ceremony will be held at the Kentucky Derby Museum on March 4th to celebrate participating students and winners.

Information provided by Katrina Helmer, Director of Communications, Kentucky Derby Museum.

@derbymuseum

We had so much fun surprising this year’s Horsing Around With Art (HAWA) winner! PRP High School’s Kayci Shacklette will have her artwork framed and displayed at the museum for thousands of guests to see. Congratulations! #art #KentuckyDerby #DerbyMuseum #artist

♬ Memories – Lux-Inspira

PRP Pulse Ranked #1 Among Literary Magazines in KY with Prestigious REALM Award

The PRP Pulse has been awarded a Superior ranking by the National Council of Teachers of English, garnering a 2024 R.E.A.L. M. Award. This award recognizes excellence in art and literary magazines, and places The PRP Pulse among the best student literary magazines in the country! Many thanks to the students who submitted stories and artwork and to JCPS Materials Production for printing The Pulse.

For more information visit https://ncte.org/awards/program-to-recognize-in-student-literary-magazines/

PTA Reflections Awards Honoree


Congratulations to PRP sophomore Shyel Macaspac, who was awarded “Best Creative Interpretation” at the 2024-25 PTA Reflections Awards ceremony on January 16. Shyel’s artwork is titled “Imperfection Shattered” and addresses the 2024 PTA Reflections contest theme: Accepting Imperfection.

Shyel’s artist statement reads: “The setting is a bathroom, looking over a sink and a mirror where a person is hugging someone who seems to be a version of them, but cracked, flawed. Glass shards litter the canvas as that cracked person breaks out of the mirror. Yet, they now cry while in the arms of themselves. My art explores the idea of accepting imperfections quite Iiterally. The cracked person reflects how the person sees themselves. Embracing this flawed version of themselves signifies their acceptance of their imperfections and seeks to comfort them. I intentionally left the person’s name and gender ambiguous to highlight a powerful truth: everyone can confidently look in the mirror and embrace their imperfections.”

Shyel’s artwork will now advance to state and national judging. Way to go Shyel!

Scholastic Regional Award Winners Announced

Congratulations to the following students who received awards in the 2025 Scholastic Art Competition:

Rebekah Barnett, Gold Key, Fashion Design
Abigail Wade, Silver Key, Ceramics
Zaria Guest, Silver Key, Mixed Media
Gracie Jeffries, Honorable Mention, Mixed Media
Gracie Jeffries, Honorable Mention, Painting
Madalyn Staub, Honorable Mention, Ceramics
Abigail Wade, Honorable Mention, Ceramics
Roscoe Lee, Honorable Mention, Drawing

Winning Gold Key artworks will be on view at KMAC through February 2025. Winning Silver Key and Honorable Mention artworks will be on view at UofL’s Hite Gallery through early March 2025.

Way to go Panthers!

Student Artwork on View at Mammoth Cave National Park

This past fall, students in Basic Design classes created artwork to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the death of legendary cave explorer Floyd Collins. Many of their artworks are now included in a special exhibition at Mammoth Cave National Park, on view through March 2025.

On February 13, 1925, Kentucky cave explorer Floyd Collins died in Sand Cave after being trapped in a narrow crawlway for fourteen days. Efforts to free him had been unsuccessful, and the attempt became one of America’s first media sensations and one of the first major news stories to break on broadcast radio. The rescue efforts resulted in renewed interest in creating a national park to protect the area caves. Mammoth Cave National Park was established in 1941.

Click on the link below to see the artwork created by students to tell Floyd’s story:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thedreamrocket/albums/72177720319613720/with/54242878105

Young Visionary Group Exhibit Announced

Students’ narrative story quilts created this fall will be included in an exciting new group exhibit titled “Young Visionaries” at The Little Loomhouse Gallery from January 11 to February 8, 2025. Students researched the work of pioneering female mixed-media/fiber artists such as Harriet Powers, Bisa Butler, and Faith Ringgold and designed narrative quilts exploring their own stories and identities. This project was made possible with a grant from Little Loomhouse and Louisville Metro.

Support PRP Visual Art–Vote Daily for Your Favorite Crosley!

Please support PRP Visual Art Students in the Crosley Custom Cruiser Contest! Public voting is open now. You may vote once per day until voting closes on November 11, 2024. We hope to finish in the top five schools and earn $$ for our Visual Art Program! You can help by voting daily and sharing:-)

VOTE for your Fave Here: https://www.crosleyradio.com/cruiser-contest

Kudos to all the students who participated in this year’s contest, and to Grace J. and Sydney D. who created the final entry shown here:-)

Participating in the Crosley Custom Cruiser Contest has been an honor, and winning the contest would mean more opportunities for students in PRP’s Art Program, such as field trips, artist’s workshops, or special art supplies that we wouldn’t usually be able to afford. Being selected to participate in the contest made us feel like winners already! Any cash prizes that result from our participation would benefit our entire visual art department.

From the student artists: “We tried to fit the theme of “Sounds of Kentucky” by including commonly used bluegrass instruments like the banjo on the front of the case, and the mandolin, fiddle, and banjo on the inside. On the front of the case, we painted a skeleton in a rocking chair in front of the blue moon of Kentucky. We did this to represent Southern Nights and our state’s reputation for bluegrass and the color blue. On the inside, we painted the instruments in a river of bourbon because Kentucky is world-famous for bourbon. On the bottom of the case, we painted a stage to further represent music and our local Kentucky music scene and added horses and a horseshoe on the stage because Kentucky is very famous for horses. We added boxing gloves to the decor around the stage to represent Muhammad Ali and used red, white, and blue to represent Kentucky’s patriotism. On the sides, we tried to subtly emulate a quilted pattern because when we think of Kentucky we think of warmth, and southern old-fashioned quilts embody that.”

“This project was so much fun to work on and inspired a mini-competition in the classroom. We loved listening to the albums by Kentucky artists (provided by Crosley) and were inspired by the amazing music and artwork. This was our first time working on a project this large (as a team) and having to turn it around on a fairly tight deadline. It was also our first time painting with acrylic paints. October was a very busy month at school, with Fall break, homecoming, and other school activities. We had to learn to budget our time in class and work on the project at night and on the weekends to finish on time. We had to reflect on the theme, revise our designs and seek input from others throughout the project. We still have much to learn, and still see imperfections, but we have grown as artists as a result of the project.”,
–Grace J. & Sydney D. (Student Team / Crosley Custom Cruiser Contest)

Thank you, Crosley, for the opportunity to participate!