Which Pahrump Valley High School students were honored in Governor Lombardo’s Multimedia Challenge?

Last December, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo issued his Multimedia Challenge to the students of the Silver State, asking them to capture the spirit of the state they call home in the form of artwork and the youth of Nevada met that challenge with enthusiasm.

After a thorough review of each of the submissions, winners and honorable mentions were announced and two of Pahrump’s own artists were included among those deemed to have created the best entries.

“The Governor’s Office proudly announces the recipients of this year’s Multimedia Challenge, part of an initiative to curate a time capsule intended for opening in 2064,” a news release issued in March stated. “To facilitate this endeavor, the Time Capsule Committee was formed, comprising members from the Governor’s Office and State Public Works Division. This project aims to celebrate Nevada’s rich heritage, diverse landscapes and compelling stories through the innovative multimedia work of Nevada’s emerging storytellers, as showcased by Governor Lombardo’s Multimedia Challenge.”

The contest was open to all students in pre-K through 12th grades, with categories for sculpture and ceramics, painting and drawing, photography, and digital artwork. Judging the contest was Lombardo himself, who selected the top three winners, along with the Time Capsule Committee, which determined those taking home honorable mentions.

Pahrump Valley High School (PVHS) students submitted five pieces of art for consideration in the challenge and when it was all said and done, two of the five earned themselves an Honorable Mention - PVHS ninth-grader Marely Gomez and 11th-grader Mikayla Pasion. Gomez was selected for her acrylic painting title “Sunset in Death Valley” while Pasion was chosen for her watercolor titled “Giving a Hand to the Future”.

“We are so proud of these amazing artists!” the school posted on its Pahrump Valley Trojans Facebook page.

Following the announcement, the Pahrump Valley Times was able to head down to the high school to meet with the two artists and their art teacher, Crystal Dabrowski, to chat about the contest and their individual pieces.

“I just wanted to draw some desert because I really like how the dunes look and I thought, since I was using acrylic, I could make them look good with some blending,” Gomez explained of “Sunset in Death Valley”, which features dunes set against a background of mountains and clouds. “And then I used a few more pigmented colors on the mountains, the pinks and purples, because of the setting sun.

“And I really do like the mountains. I feel like yes, it’s very dry and very hot in the desert but the scenery is beautiful. We have really nice sunsets and I’m lucky enough to live somewhere I can see them every day, so I have been able to notice how pigmented the mountains look and how the light can change that.”

Pasion said the inspiration for her piece, “Giving a Hand to the Future” came from her desire to showcase the Native American culture so present in Nevada.

“I wanted to paint the Native American handprints,” Pasion said shyly of her watercolor depicting cacti, rocks and of course, the hands of Indigenous peoples who came before. “And I was kind of surprised when I found out about this. I kind of rushed this, I painted it in about one hour. But I really like the desert, the orange colors and the rocks, especially. The way the colors look, it amazes me.”

Dabrowski was overjoyed at the success of her students, both of whom she loves having in her class.

“They are amazing artists!” Dabrowski enthused. “Marely is a ninth-grader, so hopefully I will have her again next year. And Mikayla, she’s a junior so I have one more year with her. And they are just awesome.”

Taking home wins in the Governor’s Multimedia Challenge were Kaden Bielenberg for “The Shoe Branch at Dusk”, Leon Bibitskov for “Sands of Time” and Lorenz Bielenberg for “Moon Rock”. Other Honorable Mentions went to Molly Stutz for “City Lights”, Walter Montoya Plata for “Nevada Lake Mead” and Kaden Bielenberg for “The UFO”.

“All winners and honorable mentions will be printed and displayed in the Governor’s South and North offices,” the news release noted.

To view each of the winners and honorable mentions, visit tinyurl.com/3x2bnw6y

Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com