Niagara Falls students honored for Scholastics awards; district previews All City Art Walk and six‑story 'Grama Duck'

Jennifer Shulman, one of the district art educators, presented student artwork recognized in the Scholastics Competition and described dozens of student awards and placements at the Niagara Falls City School District board meeting on April 8.

Shulman highlighted senior and underclassman winners, noting multiple silver keys and honorable mentions across the district. She described Maya Sharma’s mixed‑media piece The History of Gerrymandering (a silver key and juror scholarship), Eliana Raymond’s experimental photographs and origami‑enhanced work, Kujin Ray’s silver‑key sculpture, and a $100 purchase prize for Kai Gray’s artwork that will be retained by the Summit County Domestic Relations Court.

Shulman also previewed the All City Art Walk and related festival events. She told the board that students K–12 created display ducks and more than 58 businesses will participate. The event — including student make‑and‑take activities, music and a riverfront duck dash — will open April 22 with a public debut of a six‑story inflatable known as “Grama Duck” on April 23; organizers plan to deflate the installation at 3:00 p.m. on April 25 unless weather requires earlier removal.

Board members praised the art program and encouraged attendance at upcoming shows. Chair commented that the district’s visual art program is “probably the best in the state,” and board members noted students’ work looks gallery‑ready.

Why it matters: the recognitions highlight student achievement and community partnerships (local businesses, Akron Children's Museum, area art centers). The art walk is positioned as a district outreach and fundraising opportunity that also showcases student work downtown.

Notable details and dates: the art walk schedule was described as April 22–25, the Grama Duck debut is April 23 with deflation April 25 at 3 p.m.; organizers produced 1,000 window clings and reported 58 businesses participating. Shulman said one juried award included a scholarship for a summer class at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center.

Representative quote: “I’m Jennifer Shulman, one of the three art educators here at [the high school],” said Shulman as she introduced student work; on the public event she said the inflatable “She is 6 stories tall,” describing placement limitations and safety logistics.

The board planned to invite honorees to a future meeting and encouraged the public to attend the art walk and related events.