Please help us celebrate the success of our Chehalis Middle School art students at the 36th Annual Jr/Sr High School Art Show, held during the Washington State Spring Fair in Puyallup. A total of 44 pieces by Chehalis Middle School artists were chosen for this year’s show, up from 11 that made the cut last year. Out of those 44 entries, 32 students secured placements or Honorable Mentions, earning a total of 42 ribbons, up from 14 in 2025.
Art Teacher Mr. J. Travis Williams said this show has distinct divisions for High School and Jr. High/Middle School students, but it is the only statewide show awarding prizes and recognizing middle school (6th–8th grade) artists in Washington. CMS students competed against peers statewide, including highly populated areas such as King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties.
Students who participated are representatives of the Advanced Art and Digital Art classes at CMS. Students are encouraged to make creative decisions and pursue individual, authentic works that best reflect their interests in subject matter and media. Mr. Williams teaches, advises, and coaches a successful balance of group and individualized compositional and design strategies across a variety of media techniques. Students commonly pitch then create works, developing revisions as artworks evolve from initial concepts to finished pieces.
Chehalis students earned 10 of the 24 (42%) Best of Division honors and $625 of the $1,400 available in cash prizes up from 4 awarded top prizes in 2025. Mr. Williams noted that 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Honorable Mention awards given within specific media subcategories of each artform are then considered for Best of Division honors.
