Magnolia West High School (MWHS) junior Barry Carter earned Reserve Champion for his “After the Rain” painting in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) school art event.

Studio Art teacher Cheyanna Snook said each year MISD encourages students to participate in Rodeo Art. Certain art classes require students to submit art while others, such as Carter’s class, make it optional.

“He’s motivated all on his own,” Snook said.

Pictured, MWHS junior Barry Carter works on pieces for his Studio Art portfolio which could earn him credits for college.

The most important guideline is that the artwork has to be from an original source. Pictures cannot be found online or copied.

Carter began his rodeo art project in August taking pictures around his home. He took pictures of his neighbor in the yard and found the source for his painting.

Carter was among 40 other students at MWHS whose art was judged in the contest. Magnolia High School also had nearly 40 students submit rodeo art and 15 students submitted art from Alpha Academy.

Three pieces in Magnolia ISD made it past the district judging and moved on to HLSR, according to Snook.

Once at the rodeo, the art is judged once again among nearly 95 other districts, explained School Art Committee Officer in Charge Pam Springer.

Springer said the top 54 pieces from the districts go into the school art auction. Of those 54 pieces 12 students earned either Grand Champion or Reserve Champion in painting, colored drawing, mixed medium, monochromatic and 3-D sculpture.

The drawings were also judged in order to award Grand Champion and Reserve Champion overall.The pieces are then auctioned.

Carter earned Reserve Champion in painting and his piece titled “After the Rain” was auctioned for $20,000. He will receive $3,000 and the other $17,000 will be placed into the HLSR scholarship fund.

“You can just imagine what it took to make it to where he (Carter) did,” Springer said. “He just deserves so much congratulations.”

Carter said he plans to save his money for college, but this isn’t his first time earning big.

Carter began painting and entering the rodeo art events in third grade. He said in fourth grade he earned his first award.

Since then, every year he has entered into the HLSR, Austin Livestock Show and Rodeo, the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo and local state fairs. He said he has earned overall Grand Champion for his art in both the Austin and San Antonio rodeo art contests. He also earned Reserve Champion in painting last year through HLSR.

While Carter is unsure which college he will attend he said he knows he wants to attend a school for an art degree.

“I’ve been visiting schools, but I don’t know what I want to do,” he said. “I am keeping my options open.”

However, with his senior year of high school remaining he is making it count. Carter is currently working on a 24-piece portfolio in the Advanced Placement Studio Art Class, which is a collection of portraiture and cultural art. The portfolio will earn him college credits for which ever college he decides to attend.

He also plays soccer and football for MWHS.

He has received a scholarship from the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo and will apply for an additional scholarship through HLSR.

Pictured, MWHS junior Barry Carter submitted “After the Rain” to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and earned Reserve Champion in painting.

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