Rapid City, SD – Student Art is being celebrated at Central High School as students gain recognition for their  artwork and photography projects. Two Central High School photography students were selected as winners  in the Rapid City Regional Airport competition, while photography students have been displaying their work through student-made magazines that highlight 250 years of the Black Hills.  

Students Colton Sayles and Hailee Weaver were chosen as winners of this year’s airport art  competition. Their artwork will be displayed at the airport, allowing travelers to view the pieces as  they pass through. The competition gives young artists the opportunity to share their artwork  beyond the classroom.  

“I didn’t expect to win, so this is really exciting,” said Hailee Weaver. “Having my art displayed  publicly means a lot, and I’m excited to keep taking photos, share my work and grow my  business.” 

Alongside this achievement, students in Central High’s photography classes have been working  on a project of their own, creating photography magazines for their school’s library. Their  magazines are centered around 250 years of the Black Hills, with students taking photos that  represent what Rapid City’s history means to them. The project allowed students to practice  more than just taking photos; they also learned about magazine layout, design, and journalistic  writing. By the end of the project, the students each had a magazine that displayed their  perspective through photography.  

Photography teacher Roxanne Rathbun has played a key role in helping students gain  opportunities to share their work. Through projects like the magazine and events like the airport  art competition, Rathbun encourages students to enter contests, display their work, and build  portfolios that can help them in the future.  

Both the airport art competition and the photography magazine project highlight the amount of  dedication Central High School has to get their students recognized in the community. Students  continue to explore ways to express themselves while sharing their work with the community.

Central students are proving that creativity and dedication play a key role in both their school and  their community.