Colonie Central High Schools students were recently honored with the 2026 Hyndman Creativity Award while participating in the Olympics of Visual Arts (OVA) competition.

The statewide creative competition is organized by the New York State Art Teachers Association. Students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels must develop long-term designs in one of eight categories and also compete in an on-demand challenge. 

The Colonie team competed in the “Illustration” category and were recognized for their work based on the children’s book “Owl Moon” out of 20 other participating teams. 

Led by team advisors Riley Lowndes and Monica Hughes, the student artists included: 

• Charlotte Breslin
• Erin Almonte
• Jessica Dunn
• Calliope Kavanaugh
• Leila Barretto

"Attending OVA was an incredible experience,” said Hughes. “Our students worked so hard and created an incredible work of art that was collaborative in every way. Witnessing them bring their talent together and showcase their creativity was truly inspiring. I am so excited to see what our high school art students do as they continue on in the program.”

Congratulations to this incredibly talented team and their amazing artistic skills!