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Saint Ignatius High School

16 Students Honored in Major Art Competition

Saint Ignatius students received 22 awards in the 2023 annual Scholastic Art & Writing competition. Their artistic entries span a wide range of media, from film to photography, painting, drawing, sculpture, 3-D art, graphic design, and writing.

“Wow. How did he do that?” 

That is what people say when they look at the work from our students in the Visual Arts Department. 

Each year, thousands of students enter pieces of artwork into the Scholastic Art & Writing Competition for judging, but only a select portion receives recognition. This year, Saint Ignatius has the honor of celebrating 16 students who drew the admiration of judges and received a total of 22 awards.  

Jr. Wagner '23, Sean O'Neill '24, and Owen Gillespie '25 took home the gold in the Photography and Drawing & Illustration categories. From self-portraits to shoes to parked cars, the talent and creative vision of these three men set their artwork apart from the rest and earned them highest honor, a Gold Key.

Jack Geffert '24, "Mushrooms"Jack Geffert ‘24 swept the competition with his captivating photos of everyday life. His photo "Mushrooms" (left) was just one of the pieces that earned him a Silver Key. Geffert won four awards in total, receiving three Silver Keys and one Honorable Mention. The exceptional photographer has one more year at Saint Ignatius, and we anticipate his work appearing again in the competition next year. 

From freshman to senior, this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing award recipients are composed of some of the most gifted and brightest Saint Ignatius student artists. See below for the full list of student-artist honorees, their awards and project types.

The Cleveland Institute of Art website features the full gallery of work and information about this year’s art exhibition. 

Congratulations to our students on their terrific achievement, and thank you to the support from the peers, teachers, families and mentors who motivate and inspire our students daily. We are blessed to have an Ignatius community that encourages creative expression and celebrates the growth and successes of our men. 

Go Cats!


Click Here to see more of this year's award-winning pieces!

Click Here to see the 2022 Visual Arts online gallery!

Click Here to see all of the 2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients! 



2023 Scholastic Art & Writing Award Recipients

Student Title Medium/Format Award Type
Jr Wagner '23 Jr's Dope Foto Photography Gold Key
Sean O'Neill '24 untitled triptych Drawing & Illustration Gold Key
Owen Gillespie '25 Self-Portrait Drawing & Illustration Gold Key
Jose Figueroa '23 Figueroa_35 Photography Silver Key
Jack Geffert '24 Dandelion Photography Silver Key
Jack Geffert '24 Mushrooms Photography Silver Key
Jack Geffert '24 Water Drop Photography Silver Key
Owen Gillespie '25 Self-Portrait Drawing & Illustration Silver Key
Alex Miller '26 The Infinite Line Drawing & Illustration Silver Key
Sean O'Neill '24 untitled Drawing & Illustration Silver Key
Maksim Andrich '23 Cycle Photography Honorable Mention
Paul Angert '24 Outstretched Hands Drawing & Illustration Honorable Mention
Andrew Brennan '26 Van Aken District Design Honorable Mention
Andrew Erickson '23 Red Stone Shore Photography Honorable Mention
Jose Figueroa '23 Bee Photography Honorable Mention
Jack Geffert '24 Thanksgiving Photography Honorable Mention
Jacob Jarc '26 Five Bells Inn Digital Art Honorable Mention
Drew Kneblewicz '25 Kneblewicz Printmaking Honorable Mention
Ryan Lawlor '25 Lawlor Drawing & Illustration Honorable Mention
Ethan Makar '23 Ohio City Design Honorable Mention
John Rodgers '23 The End of a Good Time Photography Honorable Mention
Mark Zuzindlak '26 Crosstair Printmaking Honorable Mention