Mary Kate Kocovski recently won a variety of keys from the Scholastic Art Awards. Among these awards she won a gold key for her portfolio, a selective and impressive award. She is currently in AP Art and continues to work on her sustained investigation, based around memory and how it becomes deceptive over time.

Her pieces often have one aspect that distorts the image. This could be a blur or faded colors, but it all gives the idea of looking back on a memory that has changed with time. Mary Kate’s favorite piece is her painting called “Christmas Morning.” It is a picture of her with her sister as children, but they appear to be a bit faded, a brilliant tool to show how memory disappears.

Art has always been an instrumental part of Mary Kate’s life. She described how she began doing art from a very young age. It is evident that she is very passionate about art and what it offers to the world. When asked why she loved it, she responded, “Art is a way you can say things without having to use any words. It is the most universal form of communication.” Looking at her art, you know she believes this. Each one portrays a message that feels important and meaningful because of its complexity.

Mary Kate has spent much time during her high school years pursuing her passion for art. This includes painting windows at local businesses, doing a summer art internship at Notre Dame, and even starting her own Etsy shop at a young age. She plans to continue art in her life at Notre Dame next year, where she will be double majoring art and economics.