Eight students from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties recently had 11 pieces of their artwork chosen to hang in the Ohio State Capitol’s rotunda as part of the statewide Ohio Youth Governor’s Art Exhibition.

A total of 8,116 student pieces were submitted and, on March 2, a chosen few from the tricounty region were on their way to compete against students from across the state. The next step was making it to the state show.

Regional Director Josh MacMillan, who is an art teacher at Hubbard High School, said artwork by students at Boardman, Canfield, Howland, Leetonia, Salem and Ursuline was chosen to hang in the James A. Rhodes Office Tower from April 21 to May 16. The public can view the artwork 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

MacMillan said with more than 8,000 submissions, the probability of winning regionally and reaching Columbus was 0.12% and the likelihood of being selected to the state show was approximately 0.03%. The top 300 art pieces were chosen, he said.

After an impressive showing at the 2024 Northeast Ohio Scholastic Art Awards at Youngstown State University in January, Howland High School senior Katherine Toepfer, student of Brian O’Dell, is one of the students who had a piece chosen for the Governor’s Art Exhibition.

“People like Mr. O’Dell have encouraged me to pursue graphic design. Part of what makes Mr. O’Dell such a great teacher is that he goes beyond encouragement; he provides a path to get you to your destination. He has not only supported my decision to go into design, but made special projects for me that helped prepare me for the graphic arts field,” Toepfer said.

Canfield High School teacher Kevin Hoopes had 18 student pieces going to Columbus, which is a high over the past 15 years from any school in the area. Three Canfield students with five pieces were selected and will be hung at the Rhodes tower.

MacMillan, who has been the regional director for nearly a decade, said of Hoopes: “Kevin is one of the best our area has in education in any subject. His passion for his subject is only met by his humility. Any time I congratulate him on his students’ achievements and their work, he always passes the credit to the kids, but I truly believe the excellence in that program stems from his character along with how he treats and encourages his kids every single day.”

Vivian Nohra from Canfield was the star of the Valley this year, sending three pieces to the state show.

“I feel proud, of course, that something that I love doing has been so highly acclaimed. I feel very honored and it is a wonderful thing to be identified by creativity. It’s nice to know that hard work and giving a lot of time pays off. This region has a lot of talented students and wonderful programs. It’s an honor to represent our region in Columbus,” Nohra said.

“Mr. Hoopes is a great teacher, in that he allows for creative freedom to choose what you wish to create and what image to portray. He is supportive by providing constant input and teaching the basic skills needed to create great works of art. He is a teacher that never stops creating and learning, and that means a lot.”

In addition to Nohra, Canfield students Alexa Joseph and Lauren Runion also will have their artwork displayed. Other winners include:

* Karina Collins of Ursuline High School (teacher Alana Campbell).

* Hensley Nicholson of Salem (teacher Toni Martinelli).

* Gina Misel of Boardman (teacher Amanda Bero).

* Dagney Smith of Leetonia (teacher Kaitlyn Culp Morris).

The students will be honored at an awards ceremony April 21.

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