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April 18, 2003/Nisan 16 5763, Vol. 55, No. 34
Teen's art displayed in Washington
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
A school art project has resulted in national exposure for a local teen.
Julie Baker, a 16-year-old sophomore at Apollo High School, recently won the Congressional Art Competition with her scratchboard drawing "Death Prayer," created for an art nouveau assignment in her high school art class.
"(Scratchboard) is a special kind of paper made out of clay and it has a layer of black ink over it and you scratch off the black ink to show off the white," Baker explains.
The drawing is a picture of Baker's grandfather - inspired by a photo of him when he was 5 years old - with a Star of David and the Mourner's Kaddish as a background.
"I thought the death prayer was most appropriate because ... it would show the contrasting of youth and death," Baker says.
The contest is sponsored by the U.S. Congress. Individual congressmen conduct art competitions in their home districts and the winning piece from each district is displayed in Washington, D.C. Each of the winners, including Julie, her parents, Lori and Chuck Baker, and her art teacher, Barbara Dahlstedt, will be flown to Washington, D.C., for the exhibit opening June 24 in the Cannon Tunnel, a walkway leading to the U.S. Capitol.
Baker won in Congressman John Shadegg's District 4. In the district, there were a total of 208 entries judged by representatives from Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Art Institute of Phoenix and Arizonans for Cultural Development.
In addition to the trip to Washington, Julie will receive a $60,000 scholarship to the Art Institute of Phoenix, a cash prize of $300 and a trophy.
Baker's work will be displayed this spring at a high school exhibit at West Valley Art Museum. Other art awards include first place at the Maricopa County Fair and at the Apollo High School art show.
Baker, a resident of Glendale, is president of her school Speech Club, vice president of the Art Club, publicity chairwoman of the Drama Club and an illustrator for her school newspaper. She recently won third place in state in a duo acting competition. She'll also be performing in her school's production of "Godspell."
Her schedule keeps her busy, but Baker says she has a "passion for art" and wants to continue with speech and drama.
"It's really stressful," she says, "but I wouldn't change it for anything."
Baker became a bat mitzvah at Temple Beth Israel and she and her family are currently members of Temple Gan Elohim in Glendale.
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