April 25-26, 2025

Location

San Marcos High School
San Marcos CISD
2601 Rattler Road
San Marcos, TX 78666

Date

Friday, April 25, 2025
7:00 AM — 5:00 PM for State Judges to Adjudicate State VASE Qualifying Artwork

Saturday, April 26, 2025
7:30 AM — 4:30 PM for State VASE participants, teachers, and parents / guardians

High School VASE State Information

This is the culminating event of a year of diligence and creative genius on behalf of the art students, teachers, and administrators in Texas!!! This event begins with each of the Regional Events scheduled during the month of February. The State of Texas is divided into 20 Education Regional Service Centers. These regions serve as the dividing boundaries for participation in regional events. Students in the various regions are invited to participate in their Regional Event. Students are interviewed and their artworks are juried by certified TAEA jurors. A Rating IV is the mark of an exemplary work of art. This qualifies the student to be entered into the VASE Area Event. After the jury process is complete artworks that qualify to participate are then processed for the State Event.

The State Event is held annually in April. State qualifying artworks are assessed by jurors from across the United States on Friday. Students artists who receive a Rating IV — Exemplary at the State Event will be awarded with a state medallion and will be named an All-State Artist by TAEA and VASE.  The artwork created by these students will be featured on the VASE website.  Artworks receiving a Rating IV-Exemplary at the State Event are eligible for consideration for the highest honor in VASE, the Gold Seal Award.  The State VASE Jurors will select artworks that represent the goals of VASE and exemplary examples of concept, technique, craftsmanship and creativity in student artwork.  Students selected as Gold Seal winners will receive a Gold State Medallion and their artwork will be exhibited in a variety of venues across the state, culminating with the Gold Seal Exhibition at the annual TAEA Fall Conference.  In an effort to protect a student's Gold Seal artwork, any artwork entered that is too fragile to travel may not be transported or exhibited at selected venues outside of the state event.

On Saturday of the State VASE Event, students may participate in hands-on workshops, sketching opportunities, and compete for scholarship money. Students are also eligible for memorial scholarships. The event is intended to provide a forum for art teachers and students to meet and to grow artistically and personally.

Due to limited space, only students with state-qualifying artwork will be able to attend workshops.

The State Event is designed with the following goals:

1. To recognize exemplary high school student artwork from across the state
2. To recognize quality high school art instruction
3. To recognize art instructors for providing student opportunities
4. To inform school administrators of the contributions being made on behalf of their art instructors and define a standards-based program
5. To reinforce state and national standards in high school art programs
6. To increase TAEA membership at the high school level
7. Encourage students to elect visual art classes at the collegiate level
8. To provide a safe venue for a quality program that achieves all of the goals above

We look forward to seeing the exciting works of art and artistic growth of students and art programs in Texas. Get your students involved today!