Two Spring Lake High School students earned accolades at this year’s West Michigan Showcase.

Kyla Koert placed second in the Literary Arts category for her short story title “Statues.” Oscar Anderson placed third in the Visual Arts category for his ink self portrait, “Unmasked.”

Anderson, a senior, said his brother is a gifted artists who inspired his work.

“He did most of his work in pen, and that really influenced my decision to use pen for this drawing,”  Anderson said. “It took much planning and thought to bring my drawing to life.”

Art teacher Jennifer Gwinnup said the projeect was out of Anderson’s comfort zone, and was a reflecting of an introverted in an outgoing world.

he said, and the pressure were a lot to handle.

Anderson said that art is “therapeutic” — but stressful. Deadlines are not his strength,

“I spent much of my time procdrastinating and waiting til the last second to do things,” he said. “I certainly did not fall short of that habit when creating this drawing.”

Nonetheless, Anderson said he was confident in his ability to compete in the arts category against 24 peers from West Michigan high schools.

“I knew what I had made had been some of my best work, and that I would have an excellent chance of placing at the top,” he said. “As far as my work being recognzied, that was surreal. I had never been a part of anything like this before, and it did not occur to me how big of a deal it was until I was up on the stage.”

West Michigan Showcase, now in its 43rd year, is talent show held in March at the Frauenthal Theater in Muskegon, and includes performances in Digital Media Arts, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, and non-competitive areas of Academics and Athletics. The top three winners are awarded cash prizes.

View all of the winners and their work at westmishowcase.org.