SAN ANTONIO – A Comal Independent School District student used her Thanksgiving break to create a work of art that has earned her a $10,000 scholarship.
Madeleine ‘Madz’ Patten, a junior at Hill Country College Preparatory High School, received the Champion in Sculpture award in the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo Western Art Contest.
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“I was shocked to win this scholarship,” Patten said. “It means a lot to be recognized for my efforts, especially when it’s something that can help me reach my goals for my future.”
Her sculpture titled “Ironclad Hooves” is made from metal scraps from her dad’s bodywork shop and depicts a bucking horse.
“It mostly consisted of old car parts. It was kind of like assembling a 3D puzzle, except there were no instructions and all the pieces were from different puzzles,” Patten said.
Patten, who plans to study mechanical or aerospace engineering in college, said she loves art because it allows her to express herself.
“It never fails to make me forget all my problems or troubling thoughts I could have and forces me to solely pay attention to the thing I’m creating at that moment.”
The Western Art Contest is an annual contest that is open to students in 183 school districts within 54 eligible counties. This year, the champion in each of the 12 categories split a total of $125,000 in scholarship money.
Comal ISD also boasted two first-place winners, three second-place honors and seven third-place winners in the art contest.