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The COVID-19 pandemic that has taken over all normal adolescent interactions has resulted in one stinging loss after another.

They suffered from the occasional advertisements for traditional in-person learning and a complete lack of extracurricular activities, athletics, field trips, plays and groups.

I had an incredible artistic result this year.

But during a time of unprecedented hardship, Sanja Srdanov, a high school art teacher in Sandwich, found the work produced by her students to be incredibly deep and inspiring.

“I have seen student art flourish more this year than other years,” Srdanov said. “The reason is, I believe, that it just became more of an art therapy for them. I had an incredible artistic result this year. “

Even when the students were able to attend class, Srdanov watched them dutifully part ways and stand quietly for themselves.

“There is low grade depression going on,” she says. “They would be so calm and immersed in their work and I think the art was so therapeutic for them.”

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The results were impressive, with the Sandwich students sweeping four of the six categories in the 23^rd The annual student juror art exhibition organized almost this year by the Leamington Arts Center (BAC).

Ava-Ryan Soderland won in mixed media, Parker Mosey won in sculpture, Gabriel Mailloux won in new media, and Kennedy Fremlin won in painting.

Evan Schafer of Tecumseh Vista won the drawing category and General Amherst’s Elle Reid won in photography. Taylor Hallatt of Kingsville won the Future Artist Award.

The Sandwich students also got four second and five third places.

Srdanov was elated when LAC announced it was hosting the annual April art show, only to have closed it within 24 hours of opening due to public health restrictions.

“It has become virtual, but it’s not like being there,” Srdanov said. “You are an artist, you have to exhibit your work.”

She convinced 33 students to participate, about half of the number she would get before the pandemic. The show itself attracted 50 artists from 10 schools and a total of 127 admissions, less than half of the 311 admissions in 2019.

Fremlin entered five paintings and one sculpture as she poured heart and soul into her work to fill the void.

“I actually do a lot of sports and they’ve all been either postponed or canceled,” said the 18-year-old. “I had nothing to do and was completely bored, so I experienced a lot of different things. I did my first portrait last March when the pandemic started.

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She won the Leamington Show with a portrayal of one of her favorite musicians, Joji, a Japanese singer / songwriter.

Fremlin loves Joji music videos and his winning portrayal “Blue” was taken from one.

She said art has taken on greater importance this year, becoming a welcome relief from the rigors of college chemistry and physics classes.

“I always find it as a break,” she said. “It’s something I really love to do and it’s a chance to relax a bit.”

Given the unique scheduling demands placed on high schools this year, Reid couldn’t even fit an art class into one of his Grade 10 quadmesters.

Srdanov was familiar with Reid’s photography because his father, Richard Reid, is the manager of Sandwich. So she convinced young Reid to submit her work to the student exhibition and a separate amateur photography competition hosted by LAC.

Reid’s black-and-white photo of an empty train tracks seemingly headed for nature won the student show and another entry took second place in the open amateur competition.

Like Fremlin, she enjoyed his artistic distraction.

“It’s just a good thing to go out and have an excuse to go out and do something,” the grade 10 student said.

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