4 high schoolers announced as winners of BI Youth Art Award

By Staff report • May 28, 2025 1:30 am

Four high schoolers on Bainbridge Island were recently announced as winners of the BI Youth Art Award.

This year’s winners were: Best of Show, Garner Hall, a junior at Bainbridge High School, photography; first place, Nora Fuss, a senior at BHS, gouache & alcohol markers; honorable mention, Emma Jackson, a junior at Eagle Harbor High School, watercolor/collage/acrylic; and honorable mention, Io Zaballa, a senior at BHS, mixed media/acrylic & digital, per a news release.

The four winners were presented with cash awards May 15 during BHS’ annual Spring Arts Festival. The award was open to Bainbridge students and residents who are high school juniors or seniors. This was the 11th year for the award, which is a BI Studio Tour program funded by last year’s tour artists who optionally donate a portion of their sales, the release states.

Each student who entered was required to submit five photos of their work and complete an application form and detailed artist’s statement. The winners were then decided by three judges, each an artist from Bainbridge and a Studio Tour board member.

Hall’s statement included: “My photography aims to capture the unguarded portraits of African wildlife in their natural habitats. Through these images, I strive to convey the dignity, power, and vulnerability of these magnificent creatures. Each photograph aims to be a visceral and raw window into a world that many may never experience firsthand, highlighting both the breathtaking beauty of wild Africa and the fragile exposure one has to these animals. I’m drawn to capturing the contrasts found in nature: strength and vulnerability, chaos and calm, danger and beauty. Each trip teaches me something new about patience, timing, and the importance of respecting the natural world.”

Emma Jackson courtesy image Eagle Harbor High School junior Emma Jackson was an honorable mention for watercolor/collage/acrylic during the BI Youth Art Awards.