Dickinson artist's pastel headed to Washington, D.C.

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Dickinson High School senior Alyssa Selinger was awarded one of five Northern Visions Awards during the North Dakota Juried Art Show at Minot.

Nearly 590 pieces of student art (kindergarten to grade 12) were on display April 10 to 28 in the Taube Museum of Art.

The Northern Vision awards are sponsored by Sen. John Hoeven, and the art work will be displayed in the senator’s office in Washington, D.C., for the upcoming year.

“It’s really a big hobby of mine when I get the time,” Selinger said of painting.

The chalk pastel of a walleye was the single entry submitted to the art show from DHS.

Selinger got the idea for the chalk pastel, as the family has a cabin at Lake Sakakawea. She decided to create the walleye as a gift for her father.

The daughter of Cindy and Dave Selinger, she remembers loving art even as a child.

“When I was really little, my mom said I always drew stick animals and all kinds of things,” she said.

Selinger credits art teachers, John Wilson at Hagen Junior High and Tod Winter at DHS, for fostering her interest in art.

“When I drew the fish, I was on an independent study of art,” she said. “I really like to draw animals and nature. I like to take pictures — I’m a visual person and I like to see in front of me what to draw.”

Chalk pastel has been Selinger’s favorite art medium, but recently she’s been working with acrylic painting.

“Right now, I’m in a ceramics class, which is different, but it’s still creative and fun as well,” she said.

Selinger plans to enroll in the pharmacy program at North Dakota State University.

“For me, art is a hobby, not stressful,” she said. “If it were a career, I’d worry about it. I want it to be fun and relaxing.”

Learning of the award, Selinger said she was surprised.

“They handed out this award out of close to 600 art pieces,” she said. I was honored and surprised.”

As for her dad, Selinger said he’s not as happy because it will be gone for a year.

“It was his picture, but I promised it’s coming back,” she said.

Winter described the award as an exceptional honor.

“You’re competing with the other students and of all those, they chose one,” he said.

He said Selinger exhibits a tremendous amount of talent and dedication.

“She puts her whole heart into her work and it shows in her artwork,” Winter said. She loves what she does. Over the years, her skills have developed consistently as time has gone by. She’s an excellent student and a joy to be around.”

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