Looking back at her early childhood years, New Richmond High School junior Kelsey Freeman can easily see where her interest in art was first sparked.
“My dad, when I was a kid, he would draw all the time for me and my sister,” she recalled. He would draw cartoon characters, and pictures of birds and different animals in his sketchbooks. He also created designs for a garden at our home.
Kelsey carried the interest with her to school, taking art classes each year since elementary school. The combination of nurture at home and formal instruction at school have enabled Kelsey to grow and hone her skills. Today, she is an award-winning artist.
Earlier this month, the junior was stunned when her name was called as a winner at the 2022 Greater Cincinnati High School Art Students Plein Air Art Competition held at Gorman Heritage Farm.
A custom to which many can likely relate, Kelsey said she has a tendency to set her expectations low so as not to be disappointed. After seeing all of the incredible artwork created for the Plein Air competition, Kelsey said she thought that she couldn’t win. She was nearly frozen into place when her name was announced as the recipient of an Honorable Mention during the Oct. 2 awards ceremony. Her award-winning art was of a spider in a window.
“My dad had to literally push me over to where they were handing the awards out,” she said.
While Kelsey was surprised by her Plein Air win, NRHS art teacher Amy Hauserman was not.
“Kelsey is a terrific student,” she said. She brings wonderful skills and care when developing her works whether it is drawing, painting, or sculpting. She has a smile that is contagious and Kelsey genuinely enjoys creating.”
This was Kelsey’s first Plein Air Competition, but it wasn’t her first award. Last spring she was announced as the winner in her age bracket of the 2022 Spring Litter Clean-Up Logo Design Contest for local K-12 students.
Both wins are good additions to her burgeoning portfolio as she prepares for her educational journey after New Richmond High School. Currently, she’s hopeful of earning a spot in the media production program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In preparation for college, she continues to take a variety of art classes at NRHS with Teacher Amy Hauserman. She’s also taking College Credit Plus courses including Fundamentals of Web Design and Engish Composition.
When not creating beautiful works of art, Kelsey enjoys reading and playing video games. She hopes to create a video game of her own. She also enjoys exploring things like ghosts. “I love doing research on places I want to go explore.”
Kelsey is the daughter of Allen and Pam Freeman.