Psi Iota Xi Awards Two $500 Senior Art Prizes at Jasper Arts Reception

Kynlee Jackson spent weeks wrestling with a tiger. Her first attempt at capturing the animal in watercolor went abstract and, as she put it, "became muddy too quickly." So the Southridge High School senior started over, landing on what she calls "a peaceful and clean-cut piece" — a watercolor titled Horangi that earned her a $500 Senior Art Award from the Zeta Mu Chapter of Psi Iota Xi on March 6.

The award was one of two $500 prizes the Zeta Mu Chapter presented to area high school seniors during Jasper Arts' First Thursday Reception, held in honor of Youth Art Month at the gallery inside the Thyen-Clark Cultural Center in Jasper. The Dubois County Herald's coverage also identified Vanessa Padilla as associated with the second Senior Art Award, publishing a photo caption of her with her artwork, though additional details about her entry were not available in reports at press time.

Jackson, the daughter of Chad Jackson and Megan Hupp, studies art under teacher Amber Barclay. She described the thinking behind Horangi in straightforward terms: "I chose the tiger for my watercolor because of how fun it would be to capture a cat in water. I love tigers and painting with watercolors so I thought I could use both of these in one project."

The awards reflect the broader mission of Psi Iota Xi, which describes itself as a philanthropic service sorority for adult women dedicated to promoting art, literature, music, and speech and hearing. The local Zeta Mu Chapter runs a free summer language and literacy camp for Dubois County children, serves as a gold-level sponsor of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and provides college scholarships for students pursuing careers in speech and hearing, including the Suzanne Jane Kress Memorial Scholarship, which pays $500 per year for four years to a student entering a speech or hearing related field. Applications for that scholarship use the common application and must be postmarked by April 1, mailed to Joetta Jones at 5407 N. Deer Wood Lake Road, Jasper, IN 47546.

The chapter's arts support continues a tradition that the national organization has maintained for decades; Psi Iota Xi participated in National Scholastics Art Awards in Indiana and Ohio beginning in 1951 and has provided cash awards to voice students at the Tri-State Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions since 1963.

Women interested in joining the Zeta Mu Chapter may contact President Leisa Lowrey at zetamupsiiotaxi@gmail.com.