HARPERSVILLE – Coosa Valley Academy’s art program has once again produced award-winning pieces.

Long recognized for excellence, the program’s students fared well in recent Alabama Independent School Association district and state art shows.

The art show circuit begins with a school competition. Entrants are split into two divisions: seventh through ninth grade and 10th through 12th grade.

The first- and second-place winners in the school art show advance to the district show, which this year was held April 19 at Edgewood Academy in Elmore.

In each division, there are sub-categories organized by medium, such as waterbase media, color drawing and acrylic painting.

Coosa Valley took 26 pieces to the show and brought home 22 ribbons, including Best of Show for both divisions for Chaney Prince’s Bluebird (acrylic painting in the 10-12 grade division) and Bram Horne’s Rabbit (acrylic painting in the 7-9 grade division).

District winners included Madelyn Horne, Cortney Collins, Rivers Cook, Lainey Cairnes, Hannah Salser, Clayton Mims, Chaney Prince, Baylee Rich, Marlee Harmon, Kinley Bryant, Shelby Gerald, Bram Horne and Skylar Bailey.

First-place pieces from the district art show advanced to the state art show on April 28 at Faulkner University.

Bram Horne earned three ribbons at the state show in the 7-9 grade division, including first place in water base media for Wolf Hunt, second place in color drawing for Kestrel and first place and overall Best of Show for the Rabbit acrylic painting.

In the 10-12 grade division, Madelyn Horne’s Self-Portrait won first place in the non-color drawing category, Cairnes’ Blue Owl won third place in the color drawing category, Madelyn Horne’s Beach won second place in the water based category, and Rich’s S.A.M. won third place in the acrylic painting category.

CVA students have been recognized beyond the AISA shows. An example is Cairnes winning Best Novice honors at Kami-Con, a three-day convention in Birmingham in January celebrating Japanese culture, geek culture, anime and manga, cosplay, tabletop and video gaming, comics, TV shows, movies and more.

The most decorated piece in the AISA art shows, Bram Horne’s Rabbit, came about because the artist wanted more practice painting fur, Horne said.

“I didn’t think it would turn out quite that well,” Horne said of the three-month project.