Students read work, receive awards for art-inspired poetry
Posted: February 18, 2025
Students read from their poetry submissions and place winners were recognized at the Artistic Verses Student Readings and Awards Ceremony on February 15 at the Mary M. Torggler Fine Arts Center at Christopher Newport University.
Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones gave welcoming remarks at the event celebrating the collaborative partnership between Newport News Public Schools and CNU, which is in its 31st year.
Each year, students from each high school have the opportunity to view an art exhibition and engage in a poetry writing workshop with local poet Nathan Richardson. Students wrote original poems inspired by the artwork and submitted them for judging by the NNPS Secondary English Team.
The event featured each student reading his or her poem, families and attendees getting the opportunity to view the artwork that inspired the poetry and the announcement of winners. A grant from the Newport News Education Foundation was used to award gift cards to each of the place winners.
Artistic Verses 2025 Contest Winners
1st place
"Candied Candelabra Confinement" by Cameron Brown
Woodside High School
Artistic Inspiration: Diadem
2nd place
"Whispers of Glass" by Talasha Daniels
Woodside High School
Artistic Inspiration: Of whether possible or how to "lift the world out, and up beyond things that have bodies and walls"
3rd place (tie)
"Mosaic" by Molly Weisiger
Menchville High School
Artistic Inspiration: Root and Shrub
"Nostalgia" by Sumyah Tate
An Achievable Dream High School
Artistic Inspiration: When Henny...lost a penny
Honorable mentions
"The Rhythm of My Beauty" by Helai Momand
Denbigh High School
Artistic Inspiration: Six Beats of My Heart at the Scale of My Body
"Memories of a Young Girl" by Ka'liyah Johnson
Warwick High School
Artistic Inspiration: Root and Shrub
"The Girl in the Mirror" by Brielle Johnson
Woodside High School
Artistic Inspiration: Mint Green Baroque
"Until My Very Last Breath" by Celeste Hill
Denbigh High School
Artistic Inspiration: Six Beats of My Heart at the Scale of My Body
