EDWARDSVILLE – An Edwardsville High School student received second place out of nearly 200 entries at the SIUE 2026 Annual High School Art Exhibition.
Maya Hatch, a senior at EHS, fell in love with ceramics earlier this year in Cassie Flynn’s art class. She then took an independent study art class, which allowed her to finish work on her award-winning piece “The Scavenger and What Remains of Us.” Hatch shared she is proud of the accomplishment and eager to learn more ceramics skills.
“I’m really grateful for it and I’m grateful for the opportunity of being in an independent class and really allowing myself to try new things and all of that, and also for the chance to be entered into an art show and get recognition,” she said. “If this wasn’t as fully formed of an art program as it is, I wouldn’t be able to do anything of the sort.”
Hatch took Flynn’s ceramics class this fall and began her sculpture “The Scavenger and What Remains of Us.” She then transitioned into the independent study course within Stacy Snead’s classroom and finished the piece there.
While creating the sculpture, Hatch “picked out a chunk of cement” from a construction project that was happening near her home, then shaved it down and screwed in a metal dowel. She wrapped wire around the dowel to create a more “industrial” look and positioned her ceramic bird sculpture on top of the dowel.
Hatch expressed her appreciation for the art program at EHS and teachers like Flynn and Snead who encouraged her to push herself and finish her sculpture. She has since started a few new ceramics projects.
Flynn noted that she collaborated with Snead to submit 20 pieces from EHS students to the SIUE 2026 Annual High School Art Exhibition. The exhibition featured 23 high schools with over 175 works of art, including two ceramics pieces from EHS students.
Flynn shared that the EHS ceramics and art programs are growing. She thanked the administrators, including Director of Curriculum Tara Fox, for allowing them to expand the program in recent years.
“It’s pretty awesome,” Flynn said. “I give Tara Fox kudos because she sat with me a few years ago to listen to things that I think our program needed, which was more opportunities, especially in ceramics. She sat down with me and kind of let us create this independent study class within a class, and obviously, I think it’s paying off.”
Hatch added that she has always loved art, and her parents are “very supportive.” She plans to pursue environmental journalism in college while still taking a few ceramics classes on the side.
“My whole family is very art-driven,” she added. “I’m definitely going to be taking ceramics classes in college.”
