Senior year has brought only good to Sage Burton. She is involved in two art classes at Nixa High School, and with this being her sixth year of art classes, she’s no newbie to art. With her last year of high school quickly coming to an end, she has worked hard on countless projects, but one of them stuck out more than others. “Fall Still Life” was recognized by Blick Art Materials’ “Celebrating Art” contest. The competition selects 10 young artists in the nation for their outstanding work, and Burton happened to be one of the lucky few.

   Blick Art Materials will publish a book later this year, showing all of the students that were recognized for their work. Burton will be one of these few individuals.

   “I was just really surprised, I wasn’t expecting it,” Burton said.

   This is Burton’s first national award, but she has also received more recognition for different pieces throughout her last four years of high school.. What made “Fall Still Life” stick out more than others, Burton didn’t really know why.

   “There’s not really a meaning, it was like a fall still-life that everyone does in class but I guess if I could think of anything to have meaning behind it, it was just to show improvement over the years that we’ve been drawing,” Burton said.

   Megan Johnson, art teacher at Nixa High School, has been with Burton for three years. In her six years of teaching, Johnson has never had a recipient of this particular award.

   “I’m not surprised at all ’cause Sage is one of the most talented artists I’ve ever had. Her skill and her technical skill is just so impressive for a high schooler,” Johnson said. 

   Johnson hopes to see Burton continue with her skill in art after high school.

   “I hope that Sage does art after high school but I just know that whatever Sage does, she will be successful because she takes everything so seriously and she works 110 percent on everything. … I can’t wait to see what she does,” Johnson said.

   Burton does not know what she wants to do after high school, but she wants art to be a big part of it.