Lyme-Old Lyme Students Earn Top Honors in Shoreline Arts Show

LYME/OLD LYME, CT – Local student artists earned multiple top awards in the Shoreline Arts Alliance’s 43rd annual Future Choices 2026 exhibition showcasing high school talent from 24 shoreline towns.

Lyme-Old Lyme High School students stood out across several categories. First place went to Marleigh Piacenza in drawing and Sophia Shaposhnikova in painting. Sienna Bari earned third place in drawing, while Meredith Thompson placed third in ceramics.

Honorable mentions in drawing went to Lauren Belval, Trevor Buydos, Grace Osborne, Chloe Ryan and Carli Teixeira, and to Max Bartlett in the mixed media category.

The juried exhibition features 211 student artworks and will be on view at Flat Rock Gallery, 314 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, from April 22 to May 2. An artists’ reception and awards ceremony will be held Sunday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to noon. 

The show includes work across ceramics, digital media, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography and woodworking.

The complete list of top finishers:

Best in Show – Chloe Haydon, Madison

1^st Place, Ceramics – KC Comerford, Madison & Madelyn Stone, Chester

2^nd Place, Ceramics – Oz Ferris, Guilford

3^rd Place, Ceramics – Meredith Thompson, Old Lyme 

1^st Place, Digital Media – Sasha Ribeiro, Middletown

2^nd Place, Digital Media – Sasha Ribeiro, Middletown

3^rd Place, Digital Media – Liam Jordan, Killingworth 

1^st Place, Drawing – Marleigh Piacenza, Old Lyme 

2^nd Place, Drawing – Emma Vittorio, Guilford

3^rd Place, Drawing – Sienna Bari, Old Lyme 

1^st Place, Mixed Media – Anna Bothamley, East Hampton

2^nd Place, Mixed Media – Lawton Duch, Haddam

3^rd Place, Mixed Media – Brooklyn Smith, Guilford

1^st Place, Painting – Sophia Shaposhnikova, Old Lyme 

2^nd Place, Painting – Chloe Haydon, Madison

3^rd Place, Painting – Ana Cyr, Middletown

1^st Place, Photography – Lucio Sanchez, Branford

2^nd Place, Photography – Michael Johnson, Haddam

3^rd Place, Photography – Camille Dalton, Branford

1^st Place, Printmaking – Ryleigh Degnan, Haddam

2^nd Place, Printmaking – Lawton Duch, Haddam

3^rd Place, Printmaking – Rebecca Mitchell, Killingworth

1^st Place, Woodworking – Everett Barden, Guilford & Owen Barden, Guilford   

Ruth Baxter Tagliatela Award – Anna Bothamley, East Hampton

Earl Grenville Killeen Founder’s Award – Educator Clare Stone, Daniel Hand High School

Judy Street Outstanding School Award – Haddam-Killingworth High School