Benton High student earns top honors at Works of Heart Art Show
March 02, 2026
Art show promotes heart health awareness during American Heart Month
BENTON, Ark. (March 3, 2026) — Benton High School received $1,000 to support its art program Thursday after a student earned both top honors — Best of Show (Judges’ Choice) and the People’s Choice Award — at Saline Health System’s Works of Heart Art Show.
A total of 57 students from four local high schools — Benton, Bryant, Bauxite and Sheridan — submitted artwork in a variety of media exploring heart health, compassion, healing and what the heart means to them in honor of American Heart Month. Winning student Adi Storey earned the highest combined judges’ scores and the most public votes for her piece, “Heart of Gold.” She received $200.
“This event is about more than art — it’s about encouraging young people, their families and the entire community to think about heart health, compassion and what it means to care for others,” said Jeannie Otts, director of the hospital’s cardiac cath lab. “We’re incredibly proud of Adi and all 57 students who shared their talent and creativity. Supporting programs like Benton High School’s art department is one more way we invest in the health and well-being of our community.”
Three Central Arkansas artists — Diane Roberts, Gretchen Ritchey and Scarlet Sims — scored the artwork on interpretation of the theme, creativity, technique, effort and overall impact.
Because so many students earned high scores, the following certificates were also awarded: third place to Oliver Barber for the watercolor piece “Connections,” second place to Avery Statton for the colored pencil piece “Stitched Heart” and first place to Klowey Dawson for her colored pencil piece “Resilience.”
Saline Health System CEO Char Boulch also recognized Abby Bradford as the CEO Pick for her pencil and ebony pencil piece, “Beauty in the End.”
“American Heart Month is about awareness and prevention, but it’s also about connection,” Boulch said. “These students captured that beautifully. We’re grateful to support their creativity and to partner with our schools in promoting healthier hearts across Saline County.”
About Saline Memorial Hospital
Saline Health System, a part of LifePoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of primary care and specialty clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. Saline Memorial Hospital is also proud to be recognized as a Leapfrog Grade “A” Hospital for its commitment to patient safety and quality care. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about LifePoint Health, visit LifePointHealth.net.