Spring Branch ISD Featured News

 

When you walk into the 2026 Student Rodeo Art Showcase in the galleries of the Altharetta Yeargin Art Museum (AYAM) in Spring Branch ISD (SBISD), a sense of awe pervades as you are surrounded by imaginative and western-themed creations on display from schools in the district.

In the fall semester, students from all grade levels were guided by their art teachers to create western themed artworks, with the hopes of having theirs presented for judging by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) School Art Committee. Of the approximately 500 artworks chosen for the AYAM show by art teachers from the across the district, only 45 drawings and paintings were submitted to the committee by Lindsay Ripley, SBISD fine art coordinator. 

Initial judging took place in early January, and the HLSR School Art program award count is exceptional this year:

• Three Best of Show (elementary, middle, high school levels)
• Four Gold Medals
• 17 Special Merit awards

“The Rodeo Committee apologized for our judging appointment taking so long because we had brought so many strong pieces from SBISD”, said Ripley. “They really wanted to take their time with it. I am so thankful our students gave those judges a tough task. I am so proud of their hard work!”

While every piece of art in the Rodeo Art Showcase at AYAM deserves a spotlight and has a back story, here are three examples to get a feel for the inspirations and thinking behind the art, and the coaching by art teachers to bring the pieces to a pinnacle of excellence.

 

 

Meet Jazmine Hurtado from Nottingham Elementary School (NHE)

Jazmine chose to depict the face of a cow in a colorful and abstract style using oil pastels. Titled Moody Blue, the drawing was awarded a Gold Medal by the HSLR Student Art Committee, and will be on display in the Hayloft Gallery during the rodeo event in March.

“I wanted my cow to be bright and happy,” said Jasmine. “The colors I picked make me happy so I think the cow is happy as well.”

Jasmine’s approach to art is to have fun and always do her best. Winning a Gold Medal from HSLR certainly added to the ‘fun’ part of drawing.

“I love to go to art,” said Jasmine about her art class. “It makes me happy to be there and I love to have fun making projects.”

Art Teacher Kari Barrett coached Jasmine to use oil pastels for her western themed project after noticing her success with the medium in another assignment. A team of educators at Nottingham Elementary assisted Jasmine with her art assignments under Barrett’s creative leadership. 

“With help and guidance from her classroom teacher, Damesha Strain and in-class support teacher, Claire Kamp, Jazmine chose her subject matter, the up-close view of the cow,” said Barrett.

The group helped Jasmine to understand how to create vibrant colors and rich textures with the oil pastels.

“In the end, Jazmine chose her color palette and made artistic decisions to capture the joy of the moment with the cow,” said Barrett.

All involved in bringing the cow drawing to completion are so proud of how Jasmine’s Gold Medal represents the school at the HLSR School Art show and the SBISD Rodeo Showcase at AYAM.

“Myself, her teachers, the administration, and the in-class support staff of our life skills unit were all very excited and proud of this amazing accomplishment,” said Barrett.

 

 

Meet Nicholas Marrion from Spring Oaks Middle School (SOMS)

From a grid of animal photos provided by SOMS art teacher Brenna Rogers, Nicholas chose to depict a sheep in watercolor for his rodeo art assignment last semester. Once he and the students in his art class completed their animal paintings, they were then challenged by Rogers to create unique backgrounds to complement their farmyard imageries.

“I used a photo reference of a sheep and then made it my own,” said Nicholas.

His goal was to give the sheep a dreamy look. “I thought of the diversity and beauty of nature,” he said of his choice to use watercolor as his medium.

Having his sheep selected by his teacher to be included in the Rodeo Art Showcase was an honor for Nicholas. “It feels shocking and amazing to have my art hanging in a museum," he said.

Rogers was pleased with how Nicholas used the shape of the watercolor brush to dab paint onto the paper, allowing the watery marks to build the sheep’s texture.

“We spent time looking at the sheep's wool to figure out how to layer colors within those subtle folds and shadows,” said Rogers. “Since the sheep was so light, I coached him on building up thin layers of paint and stippling the details to get that fluffy look.”

 

 

Meet Audrey Toffelmire from Memorial High School (MHS)

Audrey is currently involved with the preproduction of the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, which will be performed at MHS this spring. She is on the hair and makeup team for the play, which inspired her subject matter for the western art assignment in art teacher Elisa Berry’s class: a rodeo clown putting on makeup.

In order to truly make the painting her own creation, Audrey even tried out some rodeo clown makeup on herself.

“I researched lots of rodeo clown makeup designs before creating my final look, doing my own makeup, creating my own personal reference photo,” said Audrey. “I even included pictures I took at the Houston Rodeo carnival in the background!” 

Audrey’s artwork, titled My 9 to 5, earned a Finalist ribbon from the HSLR School Art Committee.

“Having my art hung in an art museum show is an unreal experience,” said Audrey. “I never imagined I would get this far, and I’m so grateful!”

Ms. Barry helped Audrey with her rodeo clown creation each step of the way. 

“Painting skin tones with acrylic can be challenging because the paint dries very quickly,” said Barry. “Audrey was diligent and determined throughout the entire project. Her work stands out and catches the attention of the viewer with her bold colors and subject matter.”

The mentorship of a good art teacher often goes unsung. But these artworks exemplify the success a student can have with the right amount of encouragement and freedom provided by a teacher. Each teacher represented here was humble and quick to state how proud they are of the accomplishments of their students.

The public is invited to view the SBISD Rodeo Art Showcase at AYAM now through February 19. The in-district museum is located on the north side of the Westchester Academy for International Studies, 901 Yorkchester Dr., 77079.