In Texas, Friday night lights shine bright on high school football fields, and athletes walk halls lined with trophies, letter jackets, and applause. But what about the kids who spend their nights hunched over canvases instead of cleats? For nearly a decade now, Fort Worth has been trying to answer that question with something more enduring than applause — recognition. 

That’s why on Sunday May 18, a crowd gathered at Fort Works Art to witness the ninth annual Mayor Mattie Parker High School Art Competition, an event created to bridge the gap between how we celebrate student athletes and how we often overlook student artists. The initiative, founded by Fort Works Art and supported by the nonprofit Gallery of Dreams, is both a showcase and a statement: creativity deserves a stage, too. 

“We wanted to build something that gave these kids the same level of public validation their peers receive in sports,” said Lauren Saba, owner of Fort Works Art and president of Gallery of Dreams. She opened the event with a reading of remarks from Dr. Eric Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum, who underscored the importance of nurturing young artists early and often. 

During the event, Mayor Mattie Parker — whose name now defines the award — spoke about the power of the arts to shape not only talent but also character. Then she handed the honors out. 

The first to be recognized was All Saints’ Episcopal junior Kitty Sollows, who earned a full-tuition scholarship to the 2025 Summer Teen Workshop at the Texas Academy of Figurative Art (TAFA). Selected by TAFA founder Ron Cheek, Sollows will spend two immersive weeks in atelier-style training this June — the kind of classical instruction that can ignite a career. 

The rest of the awards were selected by Dr. Lee, and they reflected both technical skill and emotional range. Honorable mentions went to Lizzie Carver, a senior at Texas Academy of Faith and Arts, and Megan Babcock, a senior at All Saints’ Episcopal. 

Third place was claimed by Chloe Christian, a junior at Arlington Heights High School, while second went to Ava Coffman, a senior from Keller High School — both received trophies, checks, and official certification of their work’s merit. 

But it was sophomore Chloe Lindsey from John Paul II High School who took home the biggest prize: the Amon G. Carter Award for Best in Show. Her piece, “Secretly Admired Her,” stood out not only for its execution but for the quiet vulnerability it conveyed. Lindsey’s work will soon hang just outside the Mayor’s Office at City Hall — a daily reminder that art belongs at the center of civic life. 

This year also marked a turning point for the program itself. Thanks to a generous grant from the Amon G. Carter Foundation — the first major foundation to back the initiative — the competition has secured crucial support for its future. That vote of confidence could mean bigger opportunities, broader reach, and a stronger pipeline for young talent in North Texas. 

Until then, the exhibition remains on view through May 31 at Fort Works Art, sharing gallery space with “Terra and Bloom,” a two-person show featuring Chilean painter Alonsa Guevara and Fort Worth’s own Kerri Menchaca. 

For students like Lindsey, the spotlight is finally here — and it’s well earned. 

Mayor Parker put it best, stating, “We are proud to celebrate their accomplishments and confident that they will leave a lasting impact on the world as they pursue their next chapters.”