Accolades continue to roll in for Cooper student photographer

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Angela Threadgill, a sophomore at The John Cooper School, is standing a bit taller these days. The art student continues to receive accolades for a photograph she took as part of her coursework in Karen Fearon’s digital photography class last school year, when she was a freshman.

The photograph, taken of her sister, Taylor, preparing to go to a wedding, was taken in her driveway. Due to the brightness of the concrete there was vibrant contrast in the photo, causing the figure to be featured prominently and have a fashion photo quality. Angela tweaked the black-and-white composition of the photograph a small amount using Photoshop and titled it Fashionably Late. Fearon encouraged her to submit the piece for competition, which set in motion a stream of accolades.

First, Threadgill received a Gold Key in Art award in the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards that qualified her for judging at the national level and was subsequently named a Gold Award winner, or the highest honor given. When she attended the awards ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City last summer, Threadgill was asked to come to the stage to accept a second award. Her photo was one of two “Best in Ninth Grade” awards given annually that included a $500 scholarship.

“It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done, and was a great experience,” she said upon returning from the trip.

Little did she know that there was more to come. In mid-September, Threadgill received notification that Fashionably Late would be featured in the September 22 issue of The New York Times. The photograph (with a credit line) was used as part of a half-page ad announcing the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards that ran on Page C8 in the Arts section.

Art teacher, Karen Fearon was also recognized by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her dedication to teaching art. “We are very proud of Angela’s accomplishments in the Visual Arts Department and for her national recognition,” Fearon said. “Angela’s positive attitude, humor and love of life are truly reflected in her insightful images.”