This year, we received 700+ individual submissions more high-quality pieces than our gallery can hold, making selecting the final pieces for the exhibition a difficult process. Our selection committee saw high merit in each of these honorable mentions and wanted to show appreciation for the thoughtfulness and skill of each artwork. Although these students aren’t exhibiting artists in this year’s exhibition, we wanted to feature their artwork and statements on our blog to honor their effort, talent, and perspective.

Featured Artists

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Jenna Ahmed, Dreaming Of Naia, Oil on canvas , Henry M. Gunn High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Alan Chan

I do not remember my twin Naia because she died very young, but sometimes I dream about what she might have been like. I imagine she rides on a dolphin, because that is what her name means. We go to Pescadero beach annually in her honor, and sometimes see dolphins leaping. It may be her spirit visiting us. In the picture, I’m dreaming of us together again, surrounded by butterflies, symbolizing transformation, freedom, and rebirth. I painted this in a surrealist style, with a palette inspired by Maxfield Parrish whose blue skies and luminous color captures California’s sunny beaches.

Sophia Chen, It's Brighter Tonight, Acrylic on canvas, Los Altos High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Christine An

When I was younger, I often constructed blanket forts during the night, creating ‘castles’ to imagine myself in different realities. When alone with only my thoughts in the silence and solitude of night, I can allow myself, briefly, to shamelessly indulge in such dreams of unrealistic realities.

Eunice Cho, Piglet, Lino print, printing ink on paper, Valley Christian High School, Grade 9, Instructor: Karen Dequine

For me, dreams are not only fanciful or nightmare ideals but also a significant medium of holistic prophecy. Especially prenatal dreams, commonly referred to as women’s pregnancy dreams, serve as a projection of the child’s identity and future in the mother-child relationship, emphasizing spirituality. By incorporating tinted, warm-colored layers of lino print, the artwork Piglet effectively captures the actual conception dream my mother witnessed—a vision of piglets playing, prancing around alongside the endless panorama of nature. Through this artwork, I hope to convey the message that dreams reflect our identity and envision who we are meant to be.

Nerou Collins, Mythical Existence , Digital, Abraham Lincoln High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Veronica Rueda

Inspired by Folklore, mythical creatures in old stories, and fantasy, I decided to depict myself in the form of a Faun: a mythical creature that is half human, half goat. I chose to draw the upper half of myself in the way I want my body to look and feel, able to feel comfortable in my own skin. This piece gives me a sense of freedom, of being free to be myself, frolicking in the wilderness, no one to judge me, like an uncaged creature, magical and whimsical.

Ann Jiang, A Dream of Heaven in Hell, Oil on canvas, Los Gatos High School, Grade 10, Instructor: Yi Ying

This oil painting is a piece that represents a child's dream of his mother, representing a safe haven in their ravaged reality. The warm tones of the mother and child symbolize a safe sanctuary whereas the contrasting and overwhelming cold and bleak shades of the background demonstrate how unwelcoming and heartless the world can be to orphaned children. The mother's head is disembodied and her expression is peaceful, hinting at her absence in the child's world, and contrarily, the child's body is shown reaching up to her disembodied face, towards his vision of his mother.

Addy Johnston, Dreaming Of Us, Digital illustration, Evergreen Valley High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Bryan Johnston

Dreaming has always been a part of my creativity and self discovery. When I saw this theme, I thought that I should dream of an idea, one that speaks from my heart, something personal. I've always struggled trying to express myself, to let the world know who I truly am inside, though through animation, I've had the freedom to bring out the parts of me I feel the need to hide, the ones I can only dream of sharing. I hoped that with this creation, I can open my arms to those who resonate, and to share my life with.

Jackie Kang, Anchored by Faith, Oil Pastel on paper, Leland High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Stacy Rapoport

Art has the unique ability to bring to life not just what we see, but what we feel, fear, and long for. As a senior, although I have strong aspirations for my future, I’m filled with both hope and anxiety about college and what comes beyond that. This piece embodies not only the emotions of hope and anxiety I feel as a high school senior, but also how my faith has been instrumental in getting me through these times. It serves as a reminder to find resilience through moments of doubt and embrace what lies ahead.

Leo Kluck, Cityscape, Graphite on multiple 9"x12" attached pages, Santa Teresa High School, Grade 9, Instructor: Erika Marshall

My vision is transportation, flowing traffic, and interchanging roads. I dream in maps and am always seeking to create the most perfect, intricate, detailed and unique geographical pieces.

Aidan Lai, Peeling Away Delusion, Acrylic Paint on Clay, Los Gatos High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Augustina Matsui

This piece embodies Dreamscape through the fears and aspirations displayed in this work. It illustrates someone peeling their skin, to reveal the ugly truth beneath. With the assistance of the other arm, this person can finally become themselves rather than putting on a facade of the fake that envelops them. The peeling of the skin is the shedding of the shell that will be no more. This work could be interpreted as being someone you’re not because of your fears and aspiring to become someone you want to be by peeling away the old you.

Sofia Llabres, Manta Ray Light Sculpture, Reed, Paper, Potato Starch, and Mica Powder, Willow Glen High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Alex Lee

I dream of a world where manta rays fly freely, unbound by gravity and untouched from environmental harm. Inspired by the rays' fluid bone structure during a night dive, I designed a life size replica to immortalize them despite emerging extinction. The body is composed of reeds and Kozo paper, a durable, open-fiber material that mimics light patterns into spotted formations - similar to reflected light off a manta ray's skin at night. These pieces are bound by fermented potato glue, fully biodegradable. This is my statement to contrast the bleak reality: microplastics invade their biology, poisoning them toward extinction.

Julia Lu, Feathers from a Thousand Miles Away, watercolor on paper, Harker Upper School, Grade 9, Instructor: Yi Ying

This piece embodies my idea of a dreamscape. I've always wanted to experience a dramatic and powerful sunset, one that lights the sky on fire and casts a golden glow over everything it touches. It's alive with color, blending warm hues of orange with the cool mystery of the starry twilight. Origami doves soar into the open sky, spreading their feathered wings as they take flight. While they represent the fluidity of dreams, they also embody my hope for the world to be peaceful one day. There is a quiet magic in this moment, where release, transformation, and serenity coexist.

Fiona Ly, Tracing Distance, Digital Illustration, Los Altos High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Christine An

This piece captures the longing for escape born from years of feeling isolated by bullying and racial stigma. The dream of traveling becomes a refuge—a way to imagine a world where one can belong, free from the judgments and confines of the past. It symbolizes the desire to explore places where identity is not questioned, and differences are celebrated. The vibrant destinations represent a form of escapism, a hope for freedom and acceptance beyond the everyday struggles. Here, wanderlust is not just about travel; it is a journey toward healing and self-discovery.

Cette œuvre exprime un fort désir d’évasion, né de l’isolement dû à l’intimidation et aux stigmates raciaux. Voyager devient un refuge, un moyen d’imaginer un monde où l’on peut être soi-même, loin des jugements du passé. C’est une recherche de lieux où l’identité est acceptée et les différences célébrées. Les destinations colorées symbolisent l’espoir de liberté et d’acceptation. Ce n’est pas seulement un voyage physique, mais aussi un chemin vers la guérison et la découverte de soi. C’est une quête pour trouver un endroit où l’on peut enfin se sentir à sa place.

Claire Ma, Endless Void, Acrylic paint, Pastel on canvas, Monta Vista High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Brian Chow

As we dream during the night, there is sometimes a sense of uneasiness, as if we are falling through a continuous hole into another dimension. The next day, it becomes just a blur. This painting is a depiction of that feeling. The background aims to imitate the continuous movement of falling where one’s surroundings is unclear while everything around continues to fall.

Melissa McNelly, Starlit Reverie, Lino Print, Valley Christian High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Karen Dequine

“Ethereal Gaze” explores emotion through bright contrast and layered textures. Using shades of blue, I wanted to convey a sense of longing and mystery, as if the girl is trapped inside of a dream. The distant gazing eyes and delicate highlights allow you to interpret your own emotions within the piece. The imperfect textures symbolize the beauty in imperfection and the fluidity of identity. This work is a reflection of vulnerability, strength, and the silent stories we carry with us. Through this piece, I hope to evoke a feeling of connection and wonder.

Osha Moloney, Bystander, Acrylic on cardboard, Los Gatos High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Mark Yanowsky

"Bystander" is a dreamscape showing the intersection between homelessness and the moral weight of passivity, crafting a visual narrative that interrogates societal indifference. Created with acrylic on old cardboard—a material discarded by society—the artwork’s fragmented yet interconnected composition mirrors the complexity of homelessness. The piece depicts two children witnessing an act of kindness, underscoring the impact of positive examples on future generations. In contrast, numerous figures pass by indifferently, reflecting society’s tendency to overlook this pressing issue. By juxtaposing action and apathy, the work invites viewers to reflect on their own role in addressing homelessness, urging compassion over indifference.

Nicole Park, No Way Home, Air-dry clay, crochet, needlework, wire, acrylic on family photos, Los Altos High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Christine An

I dream of my family in red. More than blood, they sustain me— my attachment to them pulses through every vein. Yet as I approach adulthood, our paths are diverging. The veins of familiarity are splitting, the blood I was raised on has begun to drain. Still, I cannot stop my hands— pallid and cold with longing— from clinging to childhood’s vestiges. Although I grasp for the memories of a reality long gone, my yearning for such impossibly distant dreams has left me empty handed. What was once a reverie in red just may be a bloodless nightmare.

Sydney Perrodin, Low Cloud Lake, Digital photography, Los Altos High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Jessica Hayes

Clouds. Ones high, high in the sky, dense enough to walk on -
that was my definition of the word “dreamscape”.
But sightseeing in the low clouds changed that word for me.
You don’t see low clouds very often. They have a rare quality.
If you’re in the clouds themselves, they act as a fog,
preventing you from seeing too far in any direction,
making you unsure of anything in your periphery -
like in a dream.

Yue Qiu, Illusive Escape, Watercolor, Monta Vista High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Brian Chow

This is a space between realism and fantasy. The creatures resemble living things I see in the real world, but aren’t quite realistic. Instead, they take on an abstract form, which represents the distorted memories that are combined to create a world in my dreams. My dreams are often pretty peaceful, despite so many abnormalities. They let me escape from the chaotic society.

Aanya Shah, Conversations with Myself, oil on canvas, The Harker School, Grade 11, Instructor: Pilar Agüero-Esparza

Conversations with Myself captures my subconscious journey to get to know and feel comfortable with myself in different situations. This gradual process unfolds within a dreamlike setting, represented through soft glazing with calming blues and pinks. I began by creating a blended background set in my school, then rendered dual figures to reflect my evolving relationship with myself across different moments of introspection. This piece is part of my larger collection, Learning to Be Free and captures the first step of my personal journey through art to discover who I am, accept it, and learn to appreciate it.

Ava Smith, Reality of a Dream, rice paper and watercolor paper with ink pen, Los Altos High School, Grade 10, Instructor: Christine An

People say that if I work hard, I will achieve my dreams. That is the way that I will experience satisfaction and joy. However, I quickly realized that this is false. Achieving my dreams was within my grasp but I would never know if I could have reached it because of other people's words that feed into my self-doubt and my own dark shadow holding me back.

Ella Suriani, Escaping Through Dreams, Mixed Media on Paper, Palo Alto High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Tracey Atkinson

Life can be loud, ever changing and chaotic. While growing up I was constantly moving between countries and found myself having to find new comforts in every change of scenery. The only time I truly found peace was at home. Coming back from a long day of figuring my way through life, I learned that through sleep, my thoughts get to calm down. I often found myself escaping to my dreamscapes as life was screaming at me. It became a calm, serene moment amidst a tumultuous life.

Mayte Tafoya, Noche De Reconciliar, Graphite,Ink, Abraham Lincoln High School , Grade 12, Instructor: Veronica Rueda

I was inspired by a dream my mom had and shared with me: She saw my grandpa in a dream after his passing. She had been longing to receive a visit from him in her dreams for months. When she finally dreamt of him, she felt a sense of closure. My grandpa’s figure is drawn in pencil, fading into the background, symbolizing his passing. The glowing angel represents a guardian angel from our religion which my mom always goes to and helps her find closure which is what I wanted this piece to show: The feeling of closure and relief.

Riya Yadav, Emberwake, Oil and modeling paste on canvas, Leigh High School, Grade 12, Instructor: Kimberly Bartel

Life drifts in waves of deep blue—a serene, steady current of routine and familiarity. Yet within us burns a fire, a force of ambition, passion, and longing that refuses to be contained. Emberwake captures the moment our dreams ignite, breaking free from the confines of society, represented by the rigid golden bars—a gilded cage of expectation. The flames reach beyond, defying limitation. Overseeing this struggle, the moon symbolizes celestial level wisdom, guiding our aspirations toward fruition. Dreams are not just visions; they are the flames that push us beyond the ordinary, lighting the way to something greater.

Peter Yoon, Burning Home, Watercolor, Poster color, Leland High School, Grade 11, Instructor: Sarah Min

In light of the recent wildfires in LA, I wanted to share what it felt like to be on the brink of losing everything in a wildfire. A few years before COVID-19, I had a similar experience when I faced the threat of evacuation. I frequently had nightmares of losing my home and everything I cherished from flames. The hands cradling the world represent me holding onto the remains of my "world"—my home. From my bed, I am reaching out desperately, trying to stop the flames and this nightmare. Contrasting the chaotic flames, the mountains symbolize peaceful aspect of life.