Colonie Central High Schools students were recently honored with the 2026 Hyndman Creativity Award while participating in the Olympics of Visual Arts competition.

The statewide creative competition is organized by the New York State Art Teachers Association. Students at the elementary, middle, and high school levels must develop long-term designs in one of eight categories and also compete in an on-demand challenge. 

The Colonie team competed in the “Illustration” category and were recognized for their work based on the children’s book “Owl Moon” out of 20 other participating teams. 

Led by team advisors Riley Lowndes and Monica Hughes, the student artists included: 

• Charlotte Breslin
• Erin Almonte
• Jessica Dunn
• Calliope Kavanaugh
• Leila Barretto

Congratulations to this incredibly talented team and their amazing artistic skills!