BOURNE — Superintendent Kerri Anne Quinlan-Zhou is pleased to announce that Bourne High School junior Melanie Luecke has been recognized for artistic achievement.
Luecke has been awarded the Judges Choice Award in the Fish Category for her original artwork in the 2024 Massachusetts Marine Educators (MME) and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Art Contest. She received a monetary prize for her achievement.
“Being recognized for my original piece in traditional visual fine arts is a profound honor, and I am immensely grateful for it. Creating this work allowed me to explore the emotive strength of strategic minimalism through a very limited color palette, space, and contrast. I am forever indebted to my Advanced Art teacher, Mr. Silva, and my National Art Honor Society (NAHS) advisor, Mrs. Henriksen-Rowland, for my development as an artist,” Luecke said.
This contest, which has been running for over 20 years, is co-sponsored by several prestigious research entities, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and the Ocean Genome Project/Northeastern University. Students in grades K-12 can enter artwork depicting an underwater species.
Luecke’s seahorse illustration, which was one of 250 entries, was recognized “in acknowledgment of her creative approach and technical ability,” with a focus on the amazing ocean life within Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
Luecke titled her original alcohol ink artwork on watercolor paper, “The Nordic King.”
She explains, “As the winter winds whisper through the northern realms, the stately seahorse of ‘The Nordic King’ stands as a monarch in his icy domain. This artwork, a study in the stark contrasts and serene blues of the frigid season, is rendered with a disciplined palette of blues and a singular shade of gray. The original alcohol-based marker creation explores the emotive strength of color and space. The untouched white of the paper conveys an unspoken narrative, allowing the scene to resonate with the chill of the Nordic winters and the silent dignity of its underwater sovereign.”
Luecke created this artwork piece during BHS’s Independent Advanced Art II course. Her art was also exhibited in the BHS 2024 Art Show and featured in the BHS 2024 yearbook.
“Her achievement is a reflection not only of her technical skill but of her incredible drive for originality and intense passion for traditional fine arts, which she has pursued with immense dedication and enthusiasm at BHS,” said BHS Principal Lisa Maguire.
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