Josie Heim '27 Receives Prestigious Gold Key Art Award

Josie Heim '27 has earned a Gold Key, the highest certificate awarded by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. She won in the Printmaking category for her linoleum print entitled, “Red and Blue As Promised.” This distinction is part of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest running and most prestigious recognition for creative teenagers.

 

“I have been interested in art ever since I was a child,” said Josie. “Some of my favorite mediums are gouache, watercolor, and ink. I especially enjoy combining multiple mediums within single pieces! Some of my favorite artists are Mark Rothko, Eli Ruhala, Sarah Sze, and E.K. Mosely.”

 

Josie, who learned about the Scholastic Art and Writing competition online, shared, “I was inspired to participate after seeing the range and quality of work showcased in the gallery, as well as noticing the relative underrepresentation of printmaking. That encouraged me to take a chance to submit a piece in a medium that felt both challenging and meaningful to me.”

 

The printmaking process used to create her award-winning piece was quite intricate. Josie explained, “I created my linoleum print by first designing the image digitally, inverting it, and transferring it onto a linoleum block. I then carved away the negative space using linoleum gouges, taking care to avoid ‘slips’, or accidental carvings that would permanently alter the design. After carving, I printed test impressions and returned to the block to remove ‘chatter’, or unintended marks. After that, I produced the final prints on colored construction paper.”

 

“The inspiration behind the piece came from the time I spent over the summer at Halfmoon Pond in Washington, New Hampshire,” she shared. “There was an abundance of nature there and being immersed in it -- particularly encountering a heron while paddleboarding -- led me to rethink how natural scenes can be read narratively rather than just visually. This experience inspired me to create a piece that suggests a story within a moment of nature, with the heron as the main subject.”

 

When she learned that she won the Gold Key distinction, Josie was both excited and surprised.

 

“I felt incredibly proud that my work received such an honor, especially since I entered the competition without strong expectations. The recognition was very meaningful and motivating,” she said.

 

While she is not sure if she will pursue a career in art after graduating from the Mount next year, she admits that creating art will always be a significant part of her life.

 

At the Mount, Josie is involved in Chimes (the yearbook) and Maker Club, where she has the opportunity to work with both traditional and digital design. These clubs have helped her to develop her creativity and artistic direction, skills which influence her artistic process. Josie is grateful to Emily Gachko (Art Teacher) and for the Studio Art course “for encouraging creativity, providing artistic guidance, and fostering an environment where experimentation and individual expression are valued.”