The Girls’ School of Austin’s Art teacher, Nancy Hoover, has been selected as the recipient of the 2019 People’s Choice Art Award, City of Austin, for her painting/mixed media on canvas, titled “Giving Directions”.
Her work was chosen from the 140 pieces, selected from over 1200 submissions, that were on display in Austin City Hall’s People’s Gallery in 2019. Visitors to the gallery voted on their favorite artwork throughout the year and Ms. Hoover’s piece received the most votes, making her the overall winner of the People’s Choice Award. Her art has been purchased by the City of Austin and will hang in their permanent collection at City Hall.
Ms. Hoover was acknowledged and spoke at a public reception and ceremony with Mayor Adler, at Austin City Hall, on Friday, March 6. She was joined by many of her current and former students and colleagues from The Girls’ School of Austin. When asked about the award she said, “I am honored and thrilled to receive this award for my painting, “Giving Directions,” which celebrates a child’s imagination. As an artist and art teacher, I have always taught that art can be a singular expression that speaks a universal language. I love creating my own art, and I love teaching and inspiring others. ”
A beloved member of the Girls’ School of Austin, Ms. Hoover designed and has guided the art program since the school’s founding and is known for bringing out the artist in every student with her infectious passion and meticulous teaching of foundational art skills. Believing that art is a way of seeing things and that art should be out in the world not confined to the refrigerator door, every student from Kindergarten through 8th grade takes art as a core part of the curriculum. Two cornerstones of the program are the creative superhero project and the annual self-portrait show which uses art as medium for identity development and self-expression. Luella in 4th grade said, “Ms. Hoover is one of the best teachers that I have ever had. She is really awesome. It’s wonderful that she won this award and she definitely deserves it.”
In the last fifteen years, the GSA art program has received 13 national Gold Key awards and over 75 regional gold keys in the Scholastic Art Competition, and Ms. Hoover has traveled with students to New York and Washington DC to receive national recognition on several occasions. Ms Hoover serves as a mentor to aspiring artists and several alumnae from the Girls’ School continue to win accolades for art in prestigious colleges and universities in the US and Europe.
