VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Student artists from throughout Southwest Washington will be recognized for their outstanding artwork at the 2012 Southwest Washington Regional High School Art Show, sponsored and hosted by Educational Service District 112.

Now in its 39th year, the art show is one of the few opportunities for area art students to receive recognition and exposure for their work. The art show received 221 entries this year from high school students throughout the six-county region of Southwest Washington. The artwork is on display at ESD 112, 2500 NE 65th Avenue in Vancouver.

The opening reception and ceremony presentation will take place from 5-7 p.m. March 13 at ESD 112. The gallery will open at 5 p.m. and the awards program begins at 6 p.m.

Twelve pieces will receive Regional Awards and will compete against entries from around Washington state in the Annual State Superintendent of Public Instruction's Art Show in Olympia in April. The following student artists won awards for their pieces:

Regional Awards

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- Drawing from a collection of more than 600 poems, one Washington student will memorize, prepare, and recite his or her way to the national Poetry Out Loud finals in Washington, D.C.

The Washington State Arts Commission announces Washington State’s participation in Poetry Out Loud: National Recitation Contest. This competition, presented in partnership with The National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, is part of a national program that encourages high school students to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation.

On Feb. 2, students from schools in Clark, Skamania, Klickitat and Lewis counties participated in the Poetry Out Loud Southwest Washington Regional Finals. The competitions took place at Educational Services District 112, located at 2500 NE 65th Ave, in Vancouver.

VANCOUVER, WASH. - Imago Dei, (which means 'Image of God') a collection of paintings by Washington State University junior Danica Wixom, is on exhibit in the Dengerink Administration building gallery through March 14.

Wixom’s colorful acrylics on canvas and mixed-media artworks explore facets of the collision and confluence of man and God.

"The relationship between man and God is filled with emotions, obstacles, miracles and mysteries. I am continually exploring these complexities through my art," said Wixom. "I want the viewer to think about what is happening in the piece and why I chose to portray an image in that way."

Originally from Vancouver, Wixom is a 2009 graduate of the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. Many of the paintings in her exhibit were created during Wixom’s senior year at VSAA as part of her advanced placement studio art portfolio requirement. Wixom continues to create art at WSU Pullman within her humanities major and as a freelance artist. She plans to graduate from WSU in May 2013 with a double major in humanities general studies and Spanish.