Japanese street fashion was the inspiration behind student artist Pearl Corry’s work, "Where I Am Now," which is on display at the Hawaii State Art Museum as part of the Scholastic Art Awards exhibit.

"I was inspired by a mixture of characters and cool articles of clothing. I planned on putting lots of people in the painting, but felt I said what I wanted to say with the one figure," said Corry, a senior at Honolulu Waldorf School.

The idea behind the painting is that "we all have different places where we feel comfortable or fit in. It’s about finding what’s good for us, finding a place," she said.

Corry was awarded a Gold Key, the highest level of achievement on the regional level, along with a Silver Key.

Teens in grades 7 to 12 entered their work in categories of art and writing to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published.

Eva Laird Smith, executive director of the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts,which organizes the judging process and awards ceremony, was "pleasantly amazed with the range of variety" in the entries received this year.

"It’s become more competitive," she said, noting a marked improvement in craftsmanship.

About 1,460 entries were received for judging, in such categories as painting, sculpture, photography, drawing, printmaking, jewelry, comic art, digital art and film.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition is one of the longest running and most prestigious student recognition programs in the U.S. More than 250,000 entries are submitted nationally.

Finalists compete in a national judging held in New York City in April, where panels of artists review more than 150,000 works of art. Award recipients receive national recognition, and monetary awards and scholarships from colleges, universities and institutes.

Three local scholarships were awarded. Alexandra Underwood, a senior at Baldwin High School, received the Tadashi Sato and Sister Keiko Sato Living Art Scholarship; Shyla Villanueva, a senior at Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus, received the Hon-Chew Hee scholarship for Artistic Elegance; and Sadie Perez, a seventh-grader from Wahiawa Middle School, received the James Kuroda Scholarship.

The foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary of the Scholastic Art Awards this year. The event is a collaboration between the foundation and the state Department of Education.

Laird Smith says the contest provides an opportunity for youth to explore important issues in the community.

"The internal questions are being externalized, which shows maturity," she said.

"Art is not in a vacuum. It’s an embodiment of what you become, a shaping aspect," she added. "Whether you are in politics or social services, that technical knowledge can be used in other fields."