Liberty County High School and Bradwell Institute students showcased their talent Thursday in fine art, music, dance and theater during the 2011 High Schools Artfest at LCHS.

Students from both public high schools competed in eight categories in a juried art show, including three-dimensional, drawing, wearable, sequential, graphic design, painting, photography and mixed media.

LCHS Fine Arts Department head Marjett Schille and art instructor and art-club advisor Mary Beth Bowen organized the event, along with choir instructor and drama-club advisor Mike Collins, band director Paul Sohayda and Spanish instructors Lidia Romero and Amy Rhoades.

"The event is sponsored by the LCHS Art Club, which fundraises to provide the (art show winners) gift-card prizes and matting for artwork," Schille said. Art-club members politely served refreshments and provided men-in-black type of security, and the LCHS choir and jazz ensemble sang and played to the delight of parents as well as students. The Winterguard dance team and Spanish club dancers performed, as did the LCHS drama club. Drama-club members offered a rousing preview of their upcoming production of "Guys & Dolls," scheduled for May 13-14. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door.

Schille said the juried fine-art exhibition was judged by Carol Hough, who is an elementary art specialist "with a long and instrumental history of supporting the arts here in Liberty County, both in education and in the community at large."

The annual art festival offers the public a chance to appreciate student art and gives students a chance to develop and display their creativity and professionalism, Schille said.

The art club also is a civic-minded organization, she said. The club adopted the Woodland Senior and Rehabilitation Center in Midway as a community-service activity, Schille said.

"Several times a year, the art-club students and advisors go out to Woodland to paint the windows inside and out with holiday decorations," the art department head said. "The residents love it and the students do, too. Several art-club alumnae come back every year after they have graduated and participate in these events."

Schille said the arts are a valuable part of a student’s education because they enhance and improve critical thinking, performance, persistence and creativity.

LCHS sophomore Kendra Baker took first place in mixed media and second place in wearable art. Baker said she made many of the artfest table decorations, including stuffed bunnies, hats and scarves. The artist and self-taught seamstress designed a Renaissance costume with 600 beads hand sewn onto the cloth.

Jazmon Woodard, a 10th-grader at LCHS, took second place in graphic design. Woodard also likes to draw, especially nature scenes.

"My mother kept me going with drawing," she said. "She told me not to give up to and to follow my dreams."