PHOENIX — Students at Phoenix Day School for the Deaf (PDSD) are starting this new school year celebrating six students who won a national art competition.
They hope their artwork will now inspire others to shine.
“I want students here at our school and other schools to show pride in being deaf and to show the world what we can do,” said now-freshman Michael Montenegro.
Montenegro is one of the six PDSD students who recently won awards in the Youth De’VIA art contest. De’VIA stands for Deaf View/Image Art.
There were more than 700 submissions from students across the country.
Montenegro shares he was shocked that he won for his pieced titled, “Shine,” in the computer-generated category.
His artwork depicts the sign for the word "shine" in American Sign Language (ASL).
“I picked this theme to show pride. I am ready to shine this year and it’s going to be a great year,” shared Montenegro.
His art teacher, Erwin Carlson, said he’s grateful so many of his student are using art to express themselves.
“Art is a medium and a way they can express their feeling, their thoughts through art, and show their parents how they feel and in a variety of ways to show pride and positivity about deaf culture, and it’s really nice for the students to be a part of that,” said Carlson.
Carlson has a dream he’s hoping 12News viewers will help him achieve. He’d like to see ASL murals around Phoenix to show more representation for the deaf community. He’s hoping to find locations where he could bring out his students to help paint the murals. Carlson said he’s seen this done in other cities and it can have a huge impact so he’s hoping to achieve that in Phoenix.
If you have a blank space where an ASL mural could be painted you’re asked to reach out to Phoenix Day School for the Deaf.
All the award-winning pieces of art from the Youth De’VIA competition are now on display at the Kansas School for the Deaf and the Museum of Deaf History, Arts and Culture.
The De’VIA competition is available to all deaf and hard of hearing school-age children and youth. Artists are encouraged to incorporate one or more aspects of Deaf people’s communication, culture, or history in their submissions.
Artwork from Phoenix Day School for the Deaf students
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.