Juneau high school junior competes in Celebrate the West art competition this week

Art students among many highlighted during Juneau Board of Education student showcase Tuesday

Riley Soboleff's 2026 Celebrate the West art entry with a description attached. (Screenshot)

By Jasz Garrett

Juneau Independent

Angela Imboden, an art teacher at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, is encouraging Juneau to vote for junior Riley Soboleff’s entry in the Celebrate the West art competition this week.

Soboleff’s art piece, “Kóon,” can be voted on for the People’s Choice Award. She said in art class, they had an assignment to draw their pets, but she decided to paint a representation of her Tlingit clan instead on a large canvas. 

“I painted a northern flicker, and I dotted with paint for the formline,” she said. “It gives it an interesting pop art effect, which we’ve been learning about. I wanted to showcase my culture. Since I was working with acrylic it was easier to make a more textured bird that still has that realistic look with the formline in the background.”

She added she chose yellow and orange to symbolize the sun and tie in with the bird’s tail feathers. 

Soboleff entered the public contest sponsored by the Western Governors’ Foundation and won first place for Alaska. She won $250 that she plans to save for college. Placing in Alaska advanced her piece to the western region.

“I think everyone who goes to JD should take classes with Ms. Imboden because she has the best suggestions,” Soboleff said, adding she wouldn’t have known about the competition without her teacher’s help. 

Claire Snyder, Cedar Jackowick, Riley Soboleff, Cora Barr and Genalee Swanson pose with their art pieces at the Thunder Mountain Middle School library during a Juneau Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, April 12, 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)

Soboleff and her peers were recognized for their winning art during the Juneau Board of Education’s student showcase during a meeting on Tuesday evening. She had more than one winning piece on display and is in the JDHS art club.  

“I did the mural art project with all the murals that are hung up downtown,” Soboleff said. “I enjoy combining realistic with formline, because it puts a modern spin on the form of art. And my duck stamp, I hadn't ever really worked with oils much, so I took it upon myself to do oils. I chose a very ambitious photo with a lot of details. Next year I'll probably choose something more simple and elegant, but I really enjoyed it, and I learned a lot through the process.”

National Junior Duck Stamp Alaska region first place ribbons went to Soboleff, Claire Snyder, Cedar Jackowick and Genalee Swanson. Cora Barr was recognized for best of show in Alaska. 

• Contact Jasz Garrett at jasz@juneauindependent.com or (907) 723-9356.

Riley Soboleff's first place oil painting for the National Junior Duck Stamp Alaska region and Claire Synder's first place photograph for the Alaska All State Art Competition 2026. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Independent)