FEATURED: Front row, from left: Travis Pinter, Alondra Gutiérrez, Ingelise Johnson, Lorene Pazmino, Carmen Valladares, and Victoria García. Back row, from left: Leroy Garza, Dante Morris, Lorena González, Gabriel Martínez, Óscar Castillo, and Rena Roberts. This image was taken on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at Nike Rowe High School in McAllen during “A Soul’s Journey: The Resilient Artist” art contest.
Photograph By ANTHONY ACOSTA
FEATURED: Lucas Castillo, P.E., founder of Atlas Engineering, speaks during the awards ceremony as McAllen ISD art coordinator Mrs. Carmen Valladares looks on at Nikki Rowe High School in McAllen on Thursday, April 30, 2026 during “A Soul’s Journey: The Resilient Artist” art contest.
Photograph By ANTHONY ACOSTA
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From blank canvas to lasting legacy: McAllen’s Nikki Rowe High School celebrates resilient young artists during art contest awards ceremony
By ANTHONY ACOSTA
A well-attended crowd filled Nikki Rowe High School’s gymnasium on Thursday evening, April 30, 2026 for the awards ceremony of the “A Soul’s Journey: The Resilient Artist” art contest, where student works sparked both admiration and purchase offers from patrons.
The event, themed “The Alchemy of Transformation” and sponsored by Atlas Engineering, showcased paintings, drawings, ceramics and sculptures from middle school, high school and Rowe High seniors, along with teacher entries.
Alchemy is a medieval, often mystical, precursor to chemistry that blended science, philosophy, and magic, primarily aimed at transforming based metal (like lead) into gold, discovering the elixir of life (immortality), and finding a universal solvent. It was practiced in ancient China, India, and Egypt, later flourishing in the 12th century Europe.
https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=alchemy+definition&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
“Alchemy of Transformation” in art refers to the symbolic and physical process of turning ordinary materials into meaningful, “golden” artwork, mirroring personal or spiritual metamorphosis.
Lucas Castillo, P.E., founder of Atlas Engineering Consultants and a licensed professional engineer, welcomed attendees and thanked the organizers.
“We especially would like to thank Mrs. Carmen Valladares and all the art teachers from each school for their time and efforts in assembling this art show on such short notice,” he said
Castillo highlighted the importance of supporting the arts.
“The reason we sponsor these shows is due to the lack of interest in the arts,” he said. “Art is the catalyst for progress in the world.”
He encouraged the audience to focus on emotional impact.
“Don’t rate the art by the quality of the finished product. Rate the art on how it makes you feel,” Castillo said. “How it inspires you to take that leap of faith.”
Prizes included scholarships, cash awards and certificates.
Several pieces drew immediate interest from patrons hoping to purchase them.
Honorable Mentions
- Valerie Garza, “Growing Tomorrow.”
- Shaila Meléndez, “Deep Blue Sea”;
- Paula Morales, “Memories of Memo”; and
- Letty Ochoa, “N”.
Middle School
- Victoria Garza, “A Warm Treat”;
- Nevaeh Lozano, “Lost Memory”; and
- Seven Flores, “Extra Ordinary”.
High School
- Ashlin López Ortiz, “Bred to be Bled”;
- Leylah Nieto, “Feeling Squarish”; and
- Ashley Esparza, “Chinatown in McAllen”.
Rowe Seniors
- Kaye Kohler, “Family Ties”;
- Brianna Alaniz, “Safe in Your Arms”; and
- Kayla Pumarejo, "Tomato Patch”.
Teacher Category
- Gabriel Martínez.
Best in Show
- Anacecilia Moreno Gutiérrez , “Self Portrait as a Fly”.
Ceramics/Sculptures
- Molly Campbell, “Moon”;
- Leonardo Oliden, “Box Elephant”; and
- Sophia Ramírez, “Inner Soul”.
Castillo closed with encouragement for continued creativity.
“Keep being creative. Keep challenging yourselves to reach that next level in your work. And most important, don’t stop — you’re bound to get better, maybe even a Master,” he said.
In art, the title “Master” traditionally designates an artist with supreme proficiency, recognized skills, and independent status, often having completed rigorous training. It generally refers to highly skilled painters from the European tradition (roughly 1300–183) known as “Old Masters”, or to an artist in, for example, the Carolina Sculpture Studio (often a peer-recognized title).
McAllen ISD art teachers, led by Valladares, coordinated the exhibition on short notice.
Their work, alongside Atlas Engineering’s sponsorship, created a vibrant space for students to express personal stories through art.
The strong turnout and patron interest underscored the community’s appreciation for the talent on display. The contest emphasized creative intention and emotional depth, proving that art remains a powerful force for inspiration and connection in the Rio Grande Valley.
About the Sponsor
Atlas Engineering Consultants is a McAllen-based structural and civil engineering firm serving the Rio Grande Valley and Texas Gulf Coast. Led by Castillo, the company provides foundation design, windstorm certifications, site development and related services.
About McAllen ISD
McAllen Independent School District serves thousands of students across the city with a strong commitment to academics, arts and community engagement. Its art teachers play a vital role in nurturing creativity and resilience among the next generation.
James "Nikki" Rowe High School is one of three high schools and the only Texas Education Agency-recognized high school serving the McAllen area as a part of the McAllen Independent School District. It houses over 4,200 students from grades 9–12.
About James “Nikki” Rowe
When Green Beret Lieutenant James N. Rowe was captured in 1963 in Vietnam, his life became more than a matter of staying alive.
In a Viet Cong Prisoner of War (POW) camp, Rowe endured beri-beri, dysentery, and tropical fungus diseases. He suffered grueling psychological and physical torment. He experienced the loneliness and frustration of watching his friends die. And he struggled every day to maintain faith in himself as a soldier and in his country as it appeared to be turning against him.
A Viet Cong POW Camp in South Viet Nam was typically a harsh, makeshift judge detention center, often consisting of bamboo cages, huts, or pits. POWs were held in brutal conditions, characterized by isolation, malnutrition, torture, tropical diseases, and forced movements to avoid Allied detection, with some campus held in Cambodia or Laos.
Rowe’s survival is testimony to the disciplined human spirit.
https://www.amazon.com/Five-Years-Freedom-Story-Vietnam/dp/0345314603
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David A. Díaz contributed to this article. For more on this and other news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
