WELLS — Administrators at Wells High School have recently learned that 11 local students have placed in various categories in this year’s Regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition sponsored in state by the Maine College of Art in Portland.

Five of the 11 received Gold Key awards qualifying them to advance to compete at the national level later this year. Four received Silver Key awards and five received honorable mentions.

“These students are a very creative group who are likely to approach their art in more unconventional ways,” said WHS art teacher Vanessa White-Capelluti. “Receiving recognition for their work serves to validate their ideas, skills and creativity.”

Nine of the group are students of White-Capelluti and two study in Emily Knight’s 3D art class.

Those recognized include Alexandra Chase (a Silver Key in Painting); Brianna Christie (a Gold Key in Mixed Media; a Silver  Key in Ceramics, and an honorable mention in Ceramics); Claudia Davis-Meggs (a Gold Key in Photography); Sara del Rio Vazquez (two honorable mentions in Photography); Lauren Dow (a Gold Key in Digital Media); Paul Ersing (a Silver Key in Ceramics and one honorable mention in Sculpture); Raven Goodell (two honorable mentions in Photography); John Keniston (a Gold Key in Painting); Nick Maynard (a Gold Key in Portfolio with eight photographs); Megan Schneider (a Silver Key and one honorable mention both in Photography); and Channing Wang (a Silver Key in Portfolio with eight photographs).

Brianna Christie and Paul Ersing are students of Emily Knight.

According to the website, artandwriting.org, “The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. … Through the Awards, students receive opportunities for recognition, exhibition, publication, and scholarships. Students across America submitted more than 330,000 original works last year in 29 different categories of art and writing.”