A painting titled “3 Penguin and Ana” wins a grand prize and cash award for Alex Camposeco, a Dekaney High School senior.art student.

January 20, 2010

Alex Camposeco, a senior at Dekaney High School in Spring ISD, is the grand prize winner in the painting category of the Culture Shapers 2009 Visual Arts Contest. He was awarded $5,000 for his winning entry titled “3 Penguin and Ana,” an oil painting that depicts a crowded hallway at Dekaney during a class change.

The painting is the second in a series that Camposeco is working on that uses crowds of students to show pattern, color and shapes. “I went upstairs (in Dekaney) and started taking some pictures of the crowds downstairs that I’m going to use in a series of paintings of crowds in general,” he said.

Camposeco said he likes to name his artwork something funny and playful. The name for this award-winning piece was inspired by three students walking in a row while wearing white T-shirts and black backpacks The bright yellow shirt located prominently in the lower right-hand side of the painting reminded him of a banana, but since Culture Shapers only allows 50 characters in the names submitted for artwork, Camposeco, shortened banana to ana.

There were over 1,400 entries in the overall competition, which also includes drawing, electronic media, photography and sculpture. There were 158 entries in the painting category.

"Painting is a difficult category to win because of the number of competitors and high skill level of the students," said Delic Loyde, DHS principal. "We are extremely proud of Alex and Dekaney art teachers, Kim Abshere, Cathy Lovett and Desmond Rodney."

Camposeco described the art teachers who have mentored him since he began painting in high school as “second moms.”

“They are always supporting me and they push me to get to those deadlines and get those paintings done. If it wasn’t for all their help I wouldn’t be able to experience all the things I have gone through and the different scholarships and awards that I have got,” Camposeco said.

This is the second consecutive year that Camposeco has won the grand prize in the painting category of the Culture Shapers contest. Last year he took the top honor and collected $5,000 for his painting titled “Darkness After the Storm.”

He also won class champion in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Art Show last year and plans to use his winnings to attend college after he graduates this year. His future goal is to paint and teach college art.