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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2016
Oklahoma
Student Places Second in Western Governors Association Art Contest
OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today welcomed
Kaitlyn Haught to the state Capitol to celebrate the artist’s success in the
inaugural Western Governors Association (WGA) “Celebrate the West” regional art
competition.
Haught, a recent Hooker High School graduate, earned
second place in the contest with her colored pencil drawing “Cutting Horse.”
The drawing will displayed in the lobby of the governor’s
office at the Capitol for the next 30 days.
“This is a truly beautiful picture, fully deserving of
a place alongside the works of other great Oklahoma artists here at the
Capitol,” said Fallin. “I’m looking forward to seeing more of Kaitlyn’s work as
she continues to hone her artistic talents.”
Haught’s drawing was one of more than 200 entries in
the WGA contest, which drew from 19 Western states.
WGA staff selected the winners from each state, then
the governors who attended the association’s summer meeting in Jackson Hole, Wyo.,
picked the “Best of Show” winners. Haught’s drawing won a $500 prize for
finishing in second place.
"I have always loved horses, and I want to be
able to show the power and the beauty of them in my artwork,” she wrote on her
entry form. “This piece means the world to me, and I want the world to be able
to appreciate its beauty as much as I do."
Haught, who plans to attend Oklahoma Panhandle State
University in the fall to study computer graphics and animation, said she has
been drawing since she was 2.
Haught said her drawing always has been an outlet for
her imagination. She started by copying her mother’s sketches and borrowing as
many drawing books and animal encyclopedias as she could from the local
library.
She credits her art teacher, Joshua Muller, with
showing her all of the media available to her and encouraging her to enter her
work in competitions.
Her work earned top prizes in Texas County, Woodward
and Mooreland, before she set her sights on a larger competition.
Haught said she spent a total of three months working
on her “Cutting Horse” drawing, hoping to qualify for a competition in New
York.
That didn’t work out, but the drawing did win best in
show at the Panhandle Area Art Jubilee in April before earning second place in
the WGA competition.
Haught said she hopes people who see her drawing will
“not only see the spirit of Oklahoma but also the beauty God created.”
For more information about the WGA art competition,
click here.
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