Northgate student takes top honors as sculptor

Northgate High School student artist Brittany Speaks recently took top honors in the Georgia District Kiwanis Art and Music Showcase. Speaks’ winning entry was her sculpture, “He Ain’t Heavy He’s My Brother.” The art and music showcase featured 142 entries in the music and art categories.

A junior at Northgate High and Sharpsburg resident, Brittany is a student in teacher Lisa Middei’s sculpture class. And her first place showing in the statewide competition resulted in the award of a $2,500 Georgia Kiwanis Art Scholarship.

Middei entered Brittany’s Sculpture in the local Kiwanis Student Art Show where it took first place in the 11th grade category and won a $75 savings bond.  From there all first place winners continued on to the next level in Carrollton where they competed for further scholarship opportunities, according to Coweta County School System spokesman Dean Jackson.

The Georgia District of Kiwanis Showcase was held on April 28 at the Carrollton Cultural Arts Center in Carrollton. Winners of local Kiwanis Showcases from across Georgia come to compete in the District Showcase each April.

The Georgia District Kiwanis Foundation awards a total of $15,000 in scholarships to the winners, $7,500 each in Art and Music.  There were 142 contestants this year, with 116 art entries and 32 musicians.