Charles Henderson High School senior Alison LeCroy has been named the recipient of the Troy Arts Council’s 2011 Jean Lake Memorial Scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating Pike County art student who displays outstanding artistic talent and plans to study some form of art in college.

LeCroy is a fourth year art student at CHHS and she was selected from several competition applicants who submitted portfolios of 10 pieces.

“To apply for the Jean Lake Memorial Scholarship, students must submit 10 pieces of artwork, five from their area of concentration and five ‘Breadth’ pieces, which include a variety of artwork,” said Pam Smith, CHHS art instructor. “The students must also provide their GPA and ACT scores because it is a college scholarship.”

Smith said that it was, perhaps, LeCroy’s attention to detail that set her apart from the other applicants and won her the scholarship.

“Her concentration pieces were very detailed and well thought out,” Smith said. “And, too, there was such a wide variety in her “Breadth’ pieces. They were very well done. Some students get caught up in one area of art and do really well but aren’t able to do a lot of things well. Alison does a lot of things very well.”

LeCroy said it was the love of and interest in detail that prompted her to choose paisley patterns for her concentration pieces.

“Paisleys are organic shapes, kind of twisted teardrops,” she said. “There are so many things that you can do with them. And, I love bright colors and happy things. The paisleys are upbeat, abstract shapes. They are shapes that you don’t have to really understand. You can just stand back and enjoy them.”

LeCroy’s paisley patterns are large and small. They are bright and colorful and they are detailed and they are fun.

Her “Breadth” pieces include some really fun pieces including an abstract of a peacock feather, which has the fine detail and bright colors of the paisley patterns. But the pieces also include straight, linear pieces and collages and photographs.

“Mrs. Smith tells me to sometimes get ‘sloppy’ and I try to do that – sometimes,” LeCroy said, with a smile.

LeCroy traces her love of art back to her not so distant childhood. “I’ve always loved art and want to always be involved with art in some way,” she said.

As for her future, LeCroy plans to attend Auburn University but, right now, she’s just enjoying the last few months of high school where she is president of the senior class, vice president of the Art Guild and a member of the Key, Interact and Beta clubs. She has an after school job at Hook’s Barbecue in Troy so she stays “pretty busy all day long.”

LeCroy expressed appreciation to the Troy Arts Council for the confidence shown in her by awarding her the 2011 Jean Lake Memorial Scholarship and said she hopes to be deserving of the honor.

Smith said LeCroy is very deserving of the scholarship.

“Alison is one of those students every teachers wishes for,” Smith said. “She is hard working, independent and reliable. She is receptive to suggestions that will make her a better student. Alison is one of those dream students. She is to be congratulated on a job well done.”

LeCroy’s artwork is on display in the upper gallery of the Johnson Center for the Arts on East Walnut Street in downtown Troy. Admission is free and the public is invited. She is the daughter of Mike and Melody LeCroy of Troy.