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"93 Azalea Connector" by Jasmine Mason (Image courtesy Henrico Center for the Arts)
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"Glass Half Empty" by Jasmine Mason (Image courtesy Henrico Center for the Arts)
More than 300,000 students nationwide submitted their work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, but only 16 earned top honors in the competition, along with a $10,000 scholarship. One of those honorees is 17-year-old Henrico High School student Jasmine Mason.
Her winning portfolio featured a series of paintings on cardboard titled “Waiting …” that shows people sitting and standing as they anticipate the daily necessities life dictates. She says the pieces have taken on an additional meaning in light of the pandemic.
“Minority-owned businesses, mom-and-pop shops, they might not recover from this,” Mason says. “Yeah, they’re definitely waiting.”
The award puts her in good company, as previous winners include artist Andy Warhol, writer Truman Capote, filmmaker Ken Burns and novelist Stephen King. artandwriting.org