2026 REGIONAL SCHOLASTIC ART AWARDS
Congratulations to the 24 students from Mercy’s Art Department who won 36 awards in this year’s Regional Scholastic Art Awards competition.
Six Mercy students won gold keys (first place). Gold key winning pieces will also compete in New York for national awards in March. Gold key winning students are: Layla Criswell, Fiona Fountain, Payton Lusky, Ellie Heinicke, Lailah Henderson, and Aurene Stoltz-Bango. Other winning students include: Sydnei Brooks, Avery Clark, Ella Cole, Audrey Dillon, Isobel Giroux, Cree Hollier, Jasmine Joseph, Grace Kim, Audrey Laing, JJ Lukas, Scarlett Menchinger, Audrey Metropulos, Madelyn Robison, Andreea Szabo, Hailey Thostenson, Elizabeth Townsel, Layla Wagner, and Emily Whelan.
Winning artworks will be on display at the Walter B. Ford II building on the Ford Campus of College for Creative Studies from February 9 - February 27, 2026. Public hours are Monday - Friday, 9-5, Saturday and Sunday noon to 5. An awards ceremony will be held on February 10, 2026, at 7:00 PM at the Detroit Film Theatre located within the Detroit Institute of Arts.
| Student First Name | Student Last Name | Grade | Title | Category | Award |
| Payton | Lusky | 9 | Whispers in the Woods | Photography | Gold Key |
| Layla | Criswell | 10 | My Heart Sank | Illustration | Gold Key |
| Ellie | Heinicke | 10 | Bursting with Joy | Drawing | Gold Key |
| Lailah | Henderson | 10 | The Look | Photography | Gold Key |
| Fiona | Fountain | 12 | Celestial Watcher | Illustration | Gold Key |
| Aurene | Stoltz-Bango | 12 | Rinse and Repeat | Photography | Gold Key |
| JJ | Lukas | 9 | Hearthwood Glow | Printmaking | Honorable Mention |
| Payton | Lusky | 9 | Cut Loose | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Audrey | Metropulos | 9 | Butterfly Man | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Isobel | Giroux | 10 | Carved Harvest | Printmaking | Honorable Mention |
| Elizabeth | Townsel | 11 | Rhythm Maker | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Sydnei | Brooks | 12 | Blue Horizon Friend | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Sydnei | Brooks | 12 | Where Quiet Colors Meet | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Grace | Kim | 12 | Celestial Bubbles | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Audrey | Laing | 12 | Behold My Baby Bear | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Aurene | Stoltz-Bango | 12 | Iron It Out | Drawing | Honorable Mention |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | Docked | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | She's Getting Older Too | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | A Spotlight of Nature | Photography | Honorable Mention |
| Avery | Clark | 9 | Meadow Dreams | Photography | Silver Key |
| Ella | Cole | 10 | Nature's Imprint | Ceramics & Glass | Silver Key |
| Scarlett | Menchinger | 9 | Light Painting in Action | Photography | Silver Key |
| Madelyn | Robinson | 9 | Crimson Silhouette | Photography | Silver Key |
| Andreea | Szabo | 9 | Mirror, Mirror, in my Hand | Photography | Silver Key |
| Layla | Criswell | 10 | Diverse Shades of Me | Drawing | Silver Key |
| Isobel | Giroux | 10 | Remembering | Printmaking | Silver Key |
| Lailah | Henderson | 10 | Felted Field | Mixed Media | Silver Key |
| Lailah | Henderson | 10 | Bubble Puzzle | Photography | Silver Key |
| Audrey | Dillon | 11 | Lake of Possibilities | Drawing | Silver Key |
| Cree | Hollier | 12 | Engulfed | Photography | Silver Key |
| Jasmine | Joseph | 12 | Mother, Savior of Grades | Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage | Silver Key |
| Jasmine | Joseph | 12 | Pool of Curiosities | Digital Painting, Drawing & Collage | Silver Key |
| Aurene | Stoltz-Bango | 12 | A Drastic Change | Drawing | Silver Key |
| Hailey | Thostenson | 12 | Beauty at its Peak | Photography | Silver Key |
| Layla | Wagner | 10 | Ebony | Ceramics & Glass | Silver Key |
| Emily | Whelan | 12 | Hold My FIsh! | Ceramics & Glass | Silver Key |