Congratulations to Senior, Sway Rumsey for earning the title of 2025 Paxton Buckley Loda High School Artist of the Year! Sway is the daughter of Danielle Rumsey and Jade Tavenner and lives in Paxton, IL. During the 2024-2025 school year, she excelled in Art III and Art IV, earning the title of April Artist of the Month and receiving numerous awards, including two Honorable Mentions at the Small Works Art Show at the University of Illinois and First Place in Sculpture at the Illini Prairie Conference Fine Arts Festival. Sway was also involved in volleyball and ICE this year. After high school she plans to continue creating art with the hopes of earning an apprenticeship for tattooing.
Sway brings a realness and focus to the art room, which balanced well with her Art III classmates. Sway stated that Art III and the people in it is one of her favorite memories this year. One of her standout qualities is her creative problem-solving ability, which she not only applies to her own work but also extends to assisting her classmates whenever asked. Among her favorite projects, she particularly enjoyed using cardboard and plaster strips to create her shark sculpture.
When asked what advice Sway would give to other art students she stated: “If you make something you don’t like or aren’t proud of, that means there’s room for improvement.” This statement is a perfect reflection of the perseverance Sway exemplifies.
Sway will have one of her artworks purchased and put on permanent display. Congratulations again to the 2025 Artist of the Year, Sway Rumsey!
