Tuesday, June 17, 2025
With only simple tools like graphite pencils and paper, recent Concordia Junior/Senior High School (CJSHS) graduate Daegen DeGraff was named as the 2025 State of Kansas Winner in The Celebrate the West Art Competition.
The Celebrate the West Art Competition is an annual contest that invites high school students from across the American West to create original works inspired by the artists’ regional heritage. This contest incudes 17 states and three U.S. territories.
These states and territories include Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
DeGraff entered her graphite drawing titled “Uncle Jeff” into the competition, which had won a few awards already earlier in the year.
“My favorite part is always when I have it finished, and it’s framed and then people are able to look at it,” DeGraff said. “Especially when the subject of the drawing is the one looking at it. It’s really fun to see their reaction.”
DeGraff’s artworks often depict a scene from everyday life in rural Kansas, ranging from an electrician’s workshop to two farmers chatting in a field.
Many of her subjects tend to be family members, where she visits them with a camera in hand to capture the moments she’d later draw out with graphite pencils.
“It’s [art is] important to me because I’m able to show how I see things,” DeGraff said. “Drawing is a lot different than a photo in the aspect of you’re able to emphasize things that you want to emphasize. So, not often, but sometimes I’ll leave certain aspects of the photo out of the drawing because I feel like it takes away from what I’m wanting to be the focus.”
The Celebrate the West Art Competition viewers seemed to enjoy DeGraff’s perspective as well, with her piece “Uncle Jeff” winning the People’s Choice Award in late May.
During the voting process, DeGraff said the local community rallied around her throughout May, and DeGraff appreciated the support.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me they’re rooting for me, and so that’s nice to hear,” DeGraff said.
To learn more about The Celebrate the West Art Competition, visit its website at https://www.foundation.westgov.org/celebrate-the-west/2025-celebrate-the-west.
