Polk County Public Schools
Thirteen students from Lake Wales’ McLaughlin Middle and Fine Arts Academy received awards as part of the 2007-2008 Florida Art Education Association Student Digital Exhibition. Students from across the state submitted sculpture, paintings and digital art in the exhibition.
McLaughlin Middle and Fine Arts Academy winning awards in the state exhibition are listed according to the title of their award.
Award of Emerging Artist: Audrey Currier, Learnisha Hamilton, Heather Odoski and Byron Walker.
Award of Merit: Railond Garrett, Emanuel Roldan
Award of Excellence: Josh Barron, Zachery Dority, Valentina Gutierrez, Esaul Hernandez, Eva Ortiz, Pablo Pena, Carl Zuehlsdorf.
The 2008-2009 school year marks the second year of the Fine Arts Academy at the Lake Wales middle school. The school added intensive dance, music, theatre and visual arts programs.
The school district provided almost $2.4 million to enhance facilities and purchase materials, musical instruments and supplies. The school has new or upgraded band, chorus and rehearsal rooms, a dance studio, a “black box” theater classroom, an art gallery and rooms for drawing, painting, printmaking, pottery sculpture, graphic arts and photography.