FHHS art student wins Governor’s Choice Award
Published 1:30 am Friday, June 5, 2026
Submitted by the San Juan Island School District
Ninth-grade Friday Harbor High School student Kristina Girvan earned statewide recognition at the 53rd Annual OSPI Superintendent’s High School Art Show when her ceramic sculpture, Octavious, received the prestigious Governor’s Choice Award from Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson.
Kristina’s artwork was originally selected to represent the Northwest ESD 189 region, which includes five counties and serves approximately 16% of Washington State’s K–12 public school students. Regional winners from across the state then advanced to compete against artwork from the state’s eight other educational service districts, making the Governor’s Choice Award one of the highest honors in the competition.
During the virtual awards ceremony on May 19, Governor Ferguson and his daughter, Katie Ferguson, discussed why they selected Kristina’s sculpture for the award. After congratulating Kristina, the Governor stated, “A really, really beautiful piece. We love it. It was really deserving of this particular award.”
Katie Ferguson, a high school advanced art student and member of the National Art Honor Society, also praised the work, saying, “I know how hard it is to work with clay, especially to make an octopus. It’s a very delicate piece to make. I’m very impressed by it.”
When discussing her artistic process during the ceremony, Kristina reflected on the experience by saying, “Sometimes going with the flow and taking a different path than you originally planned can lead you somewhere wonderful.”
Friday Harbor High School art instructor Andy Anderson said, “This is a remarkable accomplishment in Washington State’s largest high school art competition. Kristina is a very talented and hardworking young artist whose creative problem-solving skills are exceptional. I was surprised to receive a phone call from the Governor’s office informing me that Kristina’s artwork had been selected—and asking how to properly pronounce her last name. It was difficult not to tell anyone until it was officially announced during the ceremony, but when the Governor asks you to keep a secret, you do it.”
