ANNAPOLIS — Comptroller Peter Franchot presented a Maryland Masters Award and a Comptroller’s Medallion for Making a Difference in the future to a North County High School (NCHS) student at a ceremony recently at his office in Annapolis.
Vivian Tejada, a senior at NCHS, did a Renaissance-style portrait in profile emphasizing dramatic lighting of a friend. She used pastel, chalk and charcoal. Vivian was joined in accepting the award and the medallion by her parents, Marcio and Mirna Tejada and her art instructor, James Dell.
“This award honors their outstanding artwork, which exemplifies the creativity, passion, and determination of these students and future leaders,” said Comptroller Franchot. “During my more than 27 years in public life, I have been an unwavering advocate for high quality education for Maryland’s youth and a strong proponent of arts and culture.”
The Maryland Master Award recognizes young, talented artists who have displayed extraordinary artistic skills, reflecting the vision of Maryland’s future. The Comptroller initiated the awards program to celebrate the achievements and talents of students from throughout the state enrolled in public schools from Kindergarten to twelfth 12th grade. The students’ art will be on exhibit for two months at the Comptroller’s Office in Annapolis.
The students’ art will join a collection of original paintings by one of the Comptroller’s favorite artists, Herman Maril. An American modernist, Maril was born in Baltimore and served as a professor at the University of Maryland for more than 30 years.