By KATIE MCODWELL/Lifestyles Editor

A Madison student won the inaugural Shelby County Arts Council Statewide High School Juried Art Competition Nov. 4.

Nicholas Monroe, a senior at Bob Jones High School in Montgomery, received Best of Show for “Flightless” at the awards ceremony at the SCAC gallery in Columbiana.

Monroe said the graphite drawing was in a series about “dreams and aspirations stumped by actuality.”

Monroe said he was surprised and excited to win Best of Show, which included a $500 award, after seeing the competition at the SCAC gallery.

Susan Dennis Gordon, director of arts and education, said the competition was started to attract students who would like to study art in college. The University of Montevallo helped sponsor the event, and Gordon said she hoped it would be a way for students to meet art professors outside of campus visits.

“To me, it was a great way for the colleges to meet the students,” she said. “I wanted to create an event that would be more authentic.”

Gordon worked with several partners to contact public, private and home school 10th-12th grade students across the state. More than 300 entries were submitted, and Ken Proctor, dean of arts and sciences at Georgia College, served as the juror.

“I was floored by how many entries we got,” Gordon said.

The art is on display at the SCAC gallery through Nov. 30 and will move to UM’s Bloch Hall Dec. 3. A closing reception for the UM exhibit will be held Dec. 8 at 11 a.m., during which time the college will award a $500 scholarship to one of the artists.

Cash prizes also were awarded to the winners of the following categories:

• Twelfth grade, “Hidden Secrets” by Grace Molyneux, St. Paul’s High School.

• Eleventh grade, “Untitled” by Virginia Vichi-Miller, St. Paul’s.

• Tenth grade, “Natural Disaster” by Jenny Lee, LAMP.

• Drawing, “Self Portrait” by Somin Im, LAMP High School.

• Photography, “The Messenger of Pirates,” by Marissa Donovan, St. Paul’s.

• Watercolor, “Juxtaposed Abstraction” by Jacon Sims, Bob Jones.

• Painting, “On the Inside” by Chase Essary, Shades Valley High School.

• Printmaking, “Cathedral” by Taylor Roe, St. Paul’s.

• Mixed Media, “Stifled” by Danielle Williamson, St. Paul’s.

• Computer Generated Art, “Purple Trees” by Sumner Adams, St. Paul’s.