Artist portrays her own view

Some artists prefer to follow the rules, but not Bibi Garcia.

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She likes her art to stand out.

And that's just how "Bibi's View" won best of show in the 29th annual Agnes Markwalter Youth Art Competition currently on display at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art.

"I wanted to make it something different; that makes you wonder what's going on in the picture so you can look into it," said the Greenbrier High School junior.

Bibi took a black and white photograph of her reflection in a brass lamp to create the winning piece, which fit the competition's theme, Through the Eyes of Art, just perfectly, said Dorothy Eckmann, the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art's education director.

"Usually best of show is awarded to someone, who not only does a beautiful job with their craftsmanship and their particular technique, but interprets the theme in a way that is outstanding," she said.

"It's beautifully worked in the dark room," she added. "The contrast is outstanding and the subject matter is very strong."

Bibi's art teacher, Carrie Brooks, said she asked her students to take a digital picture of their choice for a weekend assignment in her Photography 1 course.

Brooks chose to submit Bibi's photograph for the institute's art competition.

"I'm just thrilled that it got chosen," Brooks said. "She just has a twist on everything that she does. She changes it and makes it so it's never common."

Bibi said she agonized about selecting the right photograph.

"It took me a day to take a whole bunch of pictures," she said. "And I just really liked that one (the winning photograph) because it was different from all the other ones."

Nearly 90 pupils from Columbia, Richmond, Aiken and Burke counties competed for the honor of placing in the exhibit. The age groups ranged from elementary-, middle- and high-school pupils, but Eckmann said each school was limited to just three works per division, which included watercolor, acrylic and stitching.

Last year, another Green-brier student won best of show in the exhibit. Anna Kelley won the title as a senior at the school.

Bibi's photograph will be on display along with the other pieces at the institute through Thursday. She was the only Columbia County student to place in the competition.

Bibi also is taking a course in advanced placement art and said she enjoys painting and ceramics as well.

She's looking at an art school such as the Savannah College of Art and Design to further her education, but said she might want a more stable career path and is considering the medical field.

"That is another field that I think she would be very good at because her attention to detail is just incredible," Brooks said. "No matter what assignment she has, she's just able to put the 'Bibi' twist on it and she makes it her own."