2024 Scholastic Awards Jurors
2024 Middle Tennessee Scholastic
Art Awards Jurors
The 2024 panel of jurors included practicing artists, art educators, and professionals. Each gave generously of their time and talents to carefully evaluate over 1,500 works of art. For more information about the Scholastic Art Awards, visit artandwriting.org.
Presented by
Abby Ornella
Abby graduated from Ohio University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, and a minor in Studio Art with a focus on painting and printmaking. During her time at Ohio University, she interned at the Kennedy Museum of Art in Athens, Ohio, and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. Abby spent three years as the Education and Engagement Coordinator at the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio, before joining the staff at Cheekwood in 2019, where she manages docents and oversees adult education. In her current artistic practice, Abby delights in collecting art materials and learning about new mediums and techniques. Most recently, she has delved into an array of fiber arts to include needle felting, knitting, sewing, and embroidery.
Brandon Williams
Brandon Williams was born in Easton, PA. He received his BFA from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2013, and his MFA from Kansas State University in 2017. He has held previous teaching positions at Kansas State University and Oklahoma State University. Currently, Brandon is an Assistant Professor of Art in Printmaking/Studio Art for the Watkins College of Art at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. He specializes specifically in intaglio printmaking where he creates prints with contemporary techniques, approaches, and imagery. His prints have been shown extensively nationally and internationally in invitational and competitive juried exhibitions. He continues to make prints to this day. You can view more at brandonwilliamsart.com and on social media @rembrandn.
Carlos Hooper
Carlos Hooper, MFA
Carlos Hooper is a graphic designer and artist that has been working in the field for over 30 years. Hooper has worked for ad agencies, design firms, and large corporations, national and international, in different industries in the US and Mexico. Throughout his career he has had the privilege of teaching at several colleges. Currently he is working as a Visiting Professor of Graphic Design at The School of Art and Design, Department of Visual Arts, at Lipscomb University.
DaShawn Lewis
DaShawn Lewis is a self-taught photographer whose work focuses on the preservation of memories and youth arts. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, DaShawn has been drawn towards photography since childhood. Building community, making connections, and storytelling are components that he considers when making photographs. DaShawn does what he likes to call “Life Photography.” Life photography aims to document real-life events, people, or scenery in the most authentic way possible.
Erihii Nyamor
Erihii Nyamor has been a freelance illustrator for over 10 years, having designed illustrations for children’s books, album covers, and family portraits. Inspired by anime and comic book culture, Nyamor primarily works with digital tools, hand drawing his illustrations and then adding color and contrast with clip studio and photoshop. He has displayed art at various festivals including Tomato Fest, Sevier Park Fest, African Street Fest, Nashville Black Market, and much more. Furthermore, he wrote, illustrated, and self-published an inspiring children’s book I Can Draw. It’s about a young man’s journey as an illustrator from kindergarten to adulthood. Currently you can find Nyamor set up at the Nashville Farmers market where he sells his art and is working on commissions and comic books that will be published this year.
Jami Creel
Jami Creel is the founder of the Museum of Contemporary Art Nashville (MOCAN), facilitating its mission to inspire artistic ideas, spark analytical conversation, and bring the community together. She is an experienced marketing and business professional with a bachelor’s degree focused in business administration in marketing from Middle Tennessee State University. In addition to her role at MOCAN, Jami is a strategic marketing consultant with clients across the U.S. She has served on the marketing committees for Nashville Design Week, Nashville Entrepreneur Week, and Creative Exchange hosted by the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville.
Jamie Reschke
Originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, Reschke received her BFA in painting and sculpture from The University of Alabama in 2017. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the country and included in both national and international publications. Currently, Jamie Reschke works at Lipscomb University as the Gallery Director for the John C. Hutcheson Gallery. She was the Exhibition Designer for the one-of-a-kind fashion exhibition Dolly Parton & The Makers: My Life in Rhinestones.
Jessica Saterstrom Eichman
Jessica Saterstrom Eichman works and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. A native of Natchez, Mississippi, Jessica earned degrees in Art and French before living and working in Paris, France; Corvallis, Oregon; and Boston, Massachusetts. Jessica’s paintings have been exhibited in the Huntsville Museum of Art, Nashville International Airport, Geodis Stadium, numerous private galleries, and have been featured in print and online. Her work can be found in public and private collections across the country and internationally, including the permanent public art collection in the Nashville Historic Metro Courthouse and Hermitage Park.
(THROUGH THE ACT OF PAINTING, THE PAINTING ITSELF HAPPENS.)
(THROUGH THE ACT OF LIVING, LIFE ITSELF HAPPENS.)
www.jessicaeichman.com
@jessicaeichman
Lina Silvers
Lina Silvers earned her BA in Art History and Italian Studies in 2018 from the University of Vermont and her Master’s Degree in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University in 2023. She has curated several shows at local art galleries and restaurants. Lina is currently the Curatorial Assistant at the Cheekwood Art Museum.
Louis Holstein
Louis Holstein is a creator and community builder who believes in the power of art and the strength of community. Louis enjoys working with artists and creatives who long to build a world where everyone has a place to belong, space to grow, and the ability to thrive. His art reflects the importance of being bolstered by community and deep conviction that art is the bridge from intolerance to empathy. Louis’ artistic voice is communicated through abstract expressionist paintings, writing, and co-hosting the Casa de Arte Podcast with his wife, Ashley. Louis serves as Vice President for Nashville’s longest-established artist-run art gallery, COOP Gallery. Born and raised in Central Florida, Louis resides in Nashville, TN, with his wife and two daughters. Find him at louisholstein.com, or on Instagram @louisholstein
Sai Clayton
Sai Clayton (she/her) is a Nashville-based visual artist and curator. Clayton’s work gives form to her heritage by exploring the self-portrait as a vessel for racial representation and the transcultural experience. Her recent exhibitions include: a solo presentation at The Forge (2024); HĀFU, Random Sample (2023), Art of the South, Zeitgeist (2022); and Drawers, Adult Contemporary (2022). Residencies include State Gallery, Stove Works, and the forthcoming Hamblet Artist-in-Residence. She currently serves on the board of COOP Gallery and is the Executive Director of Number: INC magazine. She was previously an American for the Arts Diversity in Arts Leadership intern at OZ Arts, and was the 2021-22 Curatorial Fellow at the Frist Art Museum. She holds a B.A. in Visual Arts from Middle Tennessee State University.
www.saiclayton.com
XPayne
Xavier Payne received a BFA from Watkins College of Art Design & Film, concentrating in Graphic Arts and Illustration. After graduating, Xavier worked during the day as a graphic artist for corporate clients. By night, he worked as a painter and illustrator, cultivating an audience and gaining the attention of high-profile clients. Today, Xavier has worked as a full-time artist and designer focusing on social and existential topics. He has been part of national group shows and live engagements since 2014 and has had projects featured in The Source Magazine, HBO, and Complex Media.
