Meet the 2020 Gold Medal Portfolio Recipients: Jonah Kolik & Drew Conrad

This year, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers recognized 16 creative high school seniors from across the country with the Gold Medal Portfolio, the highest honor in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which includes a $10,000 scholarship. Each week in the month May we will be highlighting and interviewing two pairs of Gold Medal Portfolio recipients, leading up to their virtual national ceremony in June. Each pair of recipients were asked a few questions about their nationally recognized portfolios, craft, and future plans. And, to make it more interesting, each Gold Medal Portfolio recipient will also be asking each other a question to get to know their fellow medalists.

This week our series kicks off with Gold Medal Portfolio recipients Jonah Kolik from Cincinnati, OH and Drew Conrad from Franklin, MA.

Meet Gold Medal Portfolio recipient Jonah Kolik! In his nationally recognized art portfolio, “Familiar Spaces,” Jonah explores the emotional connections people have with the spaces they inhabit, and how they can change over time. Through his series of oil and acrylic paintings, which depict empty but lived-in rooms, Jonah conveys how these empty spaces house the shell of their inhabitant’s memories they left behind after departing

When did you first know you were an artist?

I think I first knew I was an artist when I began making work that was about myself. It was sort of like a shift in my thinking, and I began to see the bigger purpose behind what I was doing and what I wanted to say.

What was the inspiration behind your portfolio?

My portfolio was inspired by my own experiences with homes and was sort of triggered by my family's move from one place to another.

What do you want someone to take away from reading or looking at the pieces in your portfolio?

I want people who look at my work to insert themselves into and connect with these spaces, beginning to reflect on the familiar spaces they know and that influence they leave behind.

What’s next for you? Will you continue to write/create art in your future?

I am going to college to study design and communications, but I plan to paint and continue to make art for the rest of my life.

If you could have dinner with one notable/famous artist/writer (living or dead) who would it be and what would you want to talk about with them?

If I could have dinner with one notable artist it would for sure be Keith Haring and I'd ask him about starting out his career in New York and all the nightlife and youth culture that fueled much of his work.

Question from Gold Medal Portfolio recipient Drew Conrad: Where is this place you’ve painted? Does it have any significance to you personally, and if yes, what is the reason you chose this place? Is there a story about it which made you want to paint it?”

Yes, these works are based on the couple of places I've lived in throughout high school. The bed in specific is my current home, but the works all relate back to my connection and sense of comfort with spaces and the objects within them. I chose the bed in particular because I wanted to really bring the viewer into this space and remind them of a feeling, looking down on an open bed inviting them into a safe haven of comfort and support.

Meet Gold Medal Portfolio recipient Drew Conrad! In his nationally recognized art portfolio, “A Study of Form Through Discomfort,” Drew investigates the feelings of uneasiness and distress through his series of intricate clay sculptures, which were crafted by hand-building, wheel throwing, and piercing techniques.

When did you first know you were an artist?

I’ve always loved art from when I was a little kid. In elementary school it was my favorite class to go to, and since then I’ve always enjoyed having that opportunity to create, and have had excellent art teachers to guide me with their interesting personalities. 

What was the inspiration behind your portfolio?

I pull inspiration from my personal life. I think it's important for me to connect on a personal level to the work I make.  Everything in my portfolio is a visual interpretation of the thoughts, emotions and feelings of discomfort I’ve felt throughout my life, using the act of artmaking as a form of release/therapy. 

What do you want someone to take away from reading or looking at the pieces in your portfolio?

When someone views my artwork, I want them to feel uncomfortable, I hope they’re able to see the confusion and ‘abnormalities’ I’ve felt and try to express. These are all the concepts which I believe are important for people to recognize because when reality doesn’t match the internal narrative a person has in their head it gives way to disappointment, pain and suffering. I’m a victim of this as well, and these are my experiences with it, visually displayed. From this point though, there is a way out. In my pieces I hint at the ability to overcome these tough situations, to evolve and grow from the lows in life and to become a better person in return. 

What’s next for you? Will you continue to write/create art in your future?

I’m not sure exactly what is next for me. I’m not sure I feel I’m ready to move on from this topic of discomfort, but have been reflecting on all I’ve been through and I’m thankful for all of it. I absolutely plan on continuing to create art in the future and will be furthering my art education at Alfred University. 

If you could have dinner with one notable/famous artist/writer (living or dead) who would it be and what would you want to talk about with them?

This is a tough decision between two great painters. Zdzislaw Beksinski and Vincent Van Gogh. Both men had extremely unique perspectives on the world, and I’d love to sit and chat with either of them for hours into the night discussing the cosmic story of the universe and our role in all this. To talk about how the world makes us feel, what caused that feeling, how or if we can change that feeling. Truly understanding what makes the other tick, learning their soul. Artists become artists for a reason, and I’d love to learn their reasons. They’ve also made some beautiful works of art. 

Question from Gold Medal Portfolio recipient Jonah Kolik: Wow! I am really intrigued by this piece, its movement and texture, which I also pay attention to a lot in my own work. I'd like to ask about your process. How do you visualize these works beforehand, or do they come together as you go? I'd love to see your sketches and inspiration.

My creative process usually begins with a feeling, connecting what I feel to the subject at hand and trying to best represent that through my artwork. From there I tend to browse Instagram, Pinterest or just doodle until I find something that sparks an idea for me. I’ll often pull different shapes, forms, and textures from various things I see and incorporate them into my sketch. More often than not (most of the time) as I build my sculptures I’ll completely differ from what my original sketch was, piecing it together as I go with whatever feels right. It's an odd process but it's what seems to work for me! Lately I’ve been working on sketching more, but some of my ideas come from very simple whiteboard sketches like my most recent piece.

Stay tuned later this week for when we get to know another pair of Gold Medal Portfolio recipients!

Furthermore, if you’re interested in learning more about past and present Gold Medal Portfolio recipients visit the Eyes on the Prize series on the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers blog.