MHS student Caleb Jones was recently named a regional winner for his artwork at  the 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition in Indianapolis.

Jones work was selected out of more than 800 submitted student works. The art was judged by a  panel of three experts.

“I wasn’t even thinking about winning for the entire time that I was drawing my piece,” Jones  said. “Even when I finished it I didn’t believe it would turn into anything big.

“I felt pretty excited that I won. I did tell my family and friends as well and we all were collectively thrilled about it. It was more of a surprise than anything.”

Regional Winners received $25 and a Certificate of Merit at the Gala Awards Ceremony on May 1 at Indiana Landmarks in Indianapolis. 

Other than the competition aspect, Jones’ piece “Sundrop” wasn’t solely for business.

“I was just having fun making it and figuring out what I could do to make it pop for me,” he said. “I wasn’t particularly thinking about bringing it out only for the competition. It was just an assignment for our class, so I attempted to make certain that it was fit for that purpose as well.”

Thirty works were named Streeter Hadley Matthews Grand Award Winners (five from each Exhibition Level). 

Jones plans to continue training to be a professional artist and attend college to pursue his interest.

“As long as I can do art with whatever I’m doing I don’t care if it’s illustration or if it’s animation. It could be designing,” he said.  “If I can do something that I already know how to do, then I’m plenty happy about that.”

Jones appreciates the impact his art has on others.

“What makes [art] more rewarding is that I can do things that I want to, and make people feel a certain way,” he said. “No matter what that is. Maybe it’s a helpful feeling, maybe it’s a needed feeling. Whatever it is, as long as I can help someone,  that’s what motivates me to keep going through with it.”