Colors flood the page as a young artist morphs words and feelings into a portrait. They flow together perfectly to create an award-winning piece of art.

On Jan. 20, 2026, Fine Arts Department Chair Shea Phillips received an email announcing junior David Morales-Simon’s Texas Art Education Association (TAEA) art award.

“Art, in my opinion, is how you view the world. My world is colorful and fun,” Morales said. “I like seeing every thought in my head come to fruition.”

Art covers a large part of the self expression spectrum. Transitioning from private to public work marks an important milestone in an artist’s life.

“It feels great [to be a part of this experience],” Morales-Simon said. “This is my first year participating in Youth Art Month, and [I’m] the only one from our entire school to achieve this.”

Morales-Simon created a piece that he felt represents him as a person. His artwork, titled ‘Confusing Colorfuls’, exemplifies how he assumes his peers perceive him.

“It means me, literally,” Morales-Simon said. “I think everyone is a little confused when they first meet me so that’s what [this piece] means to me.”

Securing a spot into such a competitive association shows incredible progress through his  many years of practice with art. Phillips watched Morales grow in his skills and holds pride in witnessing his accomplishment.

“Where we step in is encouraging him to create and be himself. We empower him to share his talent with the world,” Phillips said. “Getting accepted is a huge honor, and we hope that this validates his talent to him and helps propel his confidence in his work.”

Morales’ artwork will hang on display at the Bullock Texas State History Museum through March along with an awards ceremony on March 29, 2026. 

“We were very excited for David to be accepted into the exhibition,” Phillips said. “It is a very selective show and his entry is testament to his creativity and hard work.”