W aterworks Visual Arts Center has awarded the Dare to Imagine Award in the amount of $1,000 to Hannah Thompson of Jesse C. Carson High School.
The award is given annually to a graduating senior whose artwork most exemplifies the creative potential of the human spirit, heart and hand.
Thompson’s highly original work uses a variety of media to express surreal, sometimes sinister, designs. She enjoys mixing media, such as colored pencil, ink, paint, and collage elements, to add material depth and interest to her work. Sprawling organic patterns, meticulous pen and ink line-work, and a predisposition towards natural forms characterize her imaginative creations.
Thompson cites her high school art teacher Dr. Mark Riley as the main influence to her art.
“He may be crazy,” says Thompson, “but he’s the best art teacher I’ve ever had.
“He’s an amazing artist, and as cliché as it sounds, he always pushes students to do their best.”
“Hannah’s developed her own unique style that is very visually pleasing,” Riley says.
Thompson is a member of the National Honor Society and the Jesse C. Carson High School Art Club. She is the daughter of Ron and Dee Ann Thompson of Salisbury.
She is interested in book illustration and plans to attend Appalachian State University this fall to pursue a fine arts degree.
Selections from Thompson’s portfolio, framed by Fine Frame Gallery of Salisbury, will hang in the Stanback Gallery Hall throughout the summer. The annual Dare to Imagine scholarship and exhibition are made possible through the generous support of Susan and Edward Norvell.