Last Updated on June 1, 2026 by Jordan Monaco
Blue Mountain Community College’s Arts & Culture Committee proudly celebrated the winners of BMCC’s 2026 Creative Writing and Art Contests at the annual Awards Reception held May 27 in the BMCC Library in Pioneer Hall. A lunch reception began at noon, followed by the Art Awards, and finally readings from the Writing Awards. Students, staff, faculty, friends, and family gathered to recognize the talents of BMCC students and celebrate excellence in the arts.
More than $1,400 in gift cards were awarded, along with two $1,000 Grand Prize scholarships, one in Visual Arts and one in Writing, amounting to over $3,400 in total prizes. The Grand Prize scholarships were sponsored by the BMCC Foundation. First, second, and third place winners in each category received $150, $100, and $50 gift cards respectively, sponsored by the Arts & Culture Committee. The contests provide an opportunity to highlight the creative work being produced by BMCC students.
This year marked an exciting expansion of the event with the addition of a BMCC student Art Contest. A selection of entries, including the winning works, will be on view in the BMCC Library through June 4.
Kristin Williams, BMCC Librarian and incoming Associate Dean of General Education, shared, “It has been rewarding to see the contest grow and to celebrate the ingenuity of our students. We are grateful to everyone who bravely participated, shared their work, and helped make this year’s event such a success.”
In the Art Contest, the $1,000 BMCC Foundation Scholarship Visual Arts Grand Prize was awarded to Matt Reeves for the strength of his overall submissions, including Still Life Painting. Julie Dyer earned first place ($150) for Still Life Painting, followed by Matt Reeves in second ($100) for Gourd, and Ayden Thurman in third ($50) for Grayscale Self-Portrait. Semi-finalists receiving $50 gift cards included Raegan Clark for I Will, Briseida Barrera for Out of Water, and Julie Dyer for Sunrise Walk. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Willow Borron for Sandwich Trinket Box, Raegan Clark for Goaties, and Teegan Lentz for Wallowa Lake Drawing.
For the Writing Contest, winners were named in three categories: Creative Nonfiction Essay, Poetry, and Short Story. The $1,000 BMCC Foundation Scholarship Writing Grand Prize was awarded to Willow Borron for outstanding achievement across multiple submissions. Jennie Wolfe, Student Advisor/Navigator and Arts & Culture Committee Member, remarked, “It was powerful to hear the students read their entries aloud…their courage in not only submitting work but in sharing it with all of us is to be applauded. I am very proud of our writers and artists.”
In Creative Nonfiction Essay, Willow Borron took first place with Kicked Awake, followed by Nadia Quezada’s Love, As the Wall Reflected It and Hillery Lay’s Forgetting Dixie. In Poetry, Willow Borron also earned first place for Pasture Theory, followed by Konrad (Rad) Chrzanowski’s Dysphoria and Katelyn Johnson-Torres’ Hunting the Ghosts of the Forest. In Short Story- Fiction, Alana McKeon won first place for Our Final Breaths, followed by Konrad (Rad) Chrzanowski’s 3:33 a.m. UNNAMED STOP and Roy Jones’ Let’er Buck.
Nika Blasser, Art Instructor and Arts & Culture Committee Chair, added, “This is a rare opportunity to hear the powerful stories from our writing department and to highlight the range of creative work students are quietly making. This event celebrates the excellence coming through fresh student voices from across different creative fields.”
The Arts & Culture Committee extends congratulations to all participants and invites the community to peruse the artwork in the BMCC Library in Pioneer Hall.