Douglas High ceramist going to Carnegie Hall

Senior Carissa Bilderback, a student in Kelley Yost’s Ceramic class, will have her entry “Insecurities/Expectations” displayed in New York.

Yost entered Bilderback’s work into the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition where it received the Silver Medal, Gold Medal and American Vision Award.

“I was pretty surprised to have won,” said Bilderback. “Ms. Yost approached me about entering, so I did as kind of a ‘why not?’ and just for fun and the experience of it.”  

The contest is an art and writing competition open to student in grades 7-12 and judged at the state and national levels. Students can enter art pieces in any type of media including photographs, drawings, paintings, ceramics and writing. 

“It was anything goes kind of theme as long as it was something you are passionate about,” said Bilderback. “I chose Insecurities/Expectations because I think it’s something every girl goes through and it’s not talked about enough.”

Her ceramic tiles display societal standards of “a perfect body” and “a not so perfect body” through skinny, curvy, body hair, stomach rolls, stretch marks and other markings on different women on each piece.    

“Some look like they’re comfortable in their body and some look insecure,” said Bilderback.

On one large tile, a smaller size woman is shown feeling too small in her space and on another tile smaller in size is a bigger woman feeling too large in her space. Bilderback said she wanted to show what many women struggle with according to societal standards and how the women feel about it.

“I have struggled in confidence with my own body, but overcame it,” she said. “It’s something a lot of people struggle with especially with social media and having to have this certain image, but I believe being comfortable in your own body is important for a happy life.”

Bilderback has the opportunity to attend the national award ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York in June and the chance for her work to be chosen as part of a traveling exhibition. Her work will also appear in the annual Scholastic publications.  

After the state awards were announced Bilderback’s pieces were displayed at the Sheppard Gallery at the University of Nevada Reno, the Nevada Museum of Art, and the Copeland Gallery in Minden. 

Next it will be displayed at Douglas High School during an award ceremony for Bilderback and other award-winning student work May 19.