PTA Reflections Art Contest
This program is hosted by the National, Washington State and Mercer Island PTAs. Your contributions to our West Mercer PTSA Ask Campaign and PTSA volunteers help support this program for our students.
Reflections is a National PTA arts recognition program that helps students explore their own thoughts, feelings, and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful not only in school but in life.
Students in grades K-12 create original works of art in response to a theme. The theme for the 2023-2024 program year is “I am Hopeful Because...” Students submit their completed works of art in one, or all, of the six arts areas:
- Dance Choreography
- Film Production
- Literature
- Music Composition
- Photography
- Visual Arts
While the primary focus of Reflections is a celebration of creativity through positive recognition, finalists from local PTAs will move on to the state round. Washington State PTA finalists who receive an “Outstanding Interpretation” award will advance to the National PTA round.
Please read the Reflections rules carefully - students may only submit one submission per category. However, students can and are encouraged to participate in multiple categories.
Deadline for 2023 submission: December 1, 2023 by 4pm
Online submissions for all categories. Upload application and submission here
For visual arts and photography entries, please also bring a physical submission to West Mercer’s Front Office by the deadline.
Reflections Art Award Ceremony: March 4, 2024 at IMS Commons
All participants and winners will be recognized at the ceremony with certificates and awards. In addition, visual arts and photography entries will be on display, select music composition pieces will be played, and digital participants (music, dance, film, literature) are invited to bring their own devices (ipad/laptops/phone) to show their work.
Additional Showcase Opportunities
Yuan Ru Art Center Open House
DATE: TBD
There will be a weekend Open House Event at Yuan Ru Art Center in Bellevue where all Reflections entries will be displayed for friends and family of the Reflections artists to view. More info to follow in March.
MISD Administration Building
Select visual arts, photography, and literature entries will be displayed at the MISD Admin Building in April.
For more information on this year’s 2023-2024 Reflections competition, please contact Susie Vannatter, West Mercer Reflections Chair, at reflections@westmercerpta.org
2022-2023 Reflections Art Program Winners "Show Your Voice!"
Congratulations to the Reflections Award Winners from West Mercer!
West Mercer had the most submissions in the district, and 6 award winners will go on to compete in the Washington statewide Reflections judging. There will be a Reflections Awards ceremony on February 8th, 5-7pm at Islander Middle School, where all artwork will be displayed and all participants honored, as well as a future gallery showing.
1st West Mercer Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2) Visual Arts Kensington Vannatter
1st West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Neeva Mody
2nd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Shaan Mehta
2nd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Alice Shang
3rd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Tyler Deng
3rd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Pacific Vannatter
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Cecilia Fortson
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Isabella Lin
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Visual Arts Arshia Singhal
2nd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Film Production Alice Bickel
2nd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Film Production Mateya Glowitz
3rd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Film Production Owen Nelson
3rd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Literature Arshia Singhal
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Literature Cecilia Fortson
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Literature Miles Chow
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Literature Anvi Gowda
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Literature Meera Mishra
1st West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Dance Choreography Mabel Dubow
2nd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Dance Choreography Chloe Cordero
3rd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Dance Choreography Pacific Vannatter
1st West Mercer Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2) Dance Choreography Kensington Vannatter
2nd West Mercer Primary (Pre-K-Grade 2) Dance Choreography Hadley Nelson
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Music Composition Benjamin Ward
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Music Composition Rishab Wishwas
1st West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Natalia Louden
2nd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Adrian Hajdarpasic
3rd West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Mackinley Rousell
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Bowen Nago
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Arshia Singhal
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Cecilia Fortson
HM West Mercer Intermediate (Grades 3-5) Photography Mateya Glowitz
Alice Shang
Neeva Mody
Pacey Vannatter
Tyler Deng
Kenzie Vannatter
Shaan Mehta
2021-2022 Reflections Art Program Winners
"I Will Change the World By..."
Congratulations to this year's West Mercer PTSA Reflections Art Program recipients. There were eight students who submitted work this year in the categories of Visual Arts, Photography, Literature, Dance Choreography, and Film Production. Submissions were awarded with 1st, 2nd, 3rd Place and Honorable Mentions at the district level. Two 1st Place submissions from West Mercer will advance to the State competition.
Award Winners
1st Place - Adrian Chan (Literature), Pacey Vannatter (Dance Choreography)
2nd Place - Yunyao Bai (Film Production)
3rd Place - Shubhangi Heda (Literature)
Honorable Mention - Lilian Jieru Wu (Visual Arts), Arshia Singhal (Photography and Literature), Arianna Zhao (Literature)
