PSHS student Caroline Davey wins Home Telecom Art Challenge

Created with a skillful combination of soft colored pencils and contrasting vibrant alcohol markers, Caroline Davey’s artwork of the indigenous South Carolina canal otter dives off the page and was selected as this year’s winner of the Home Telecom Directory Art Challenge.

 

The 11th annual contest marks the final one, as the Home Telecom directory will no longer be distributed as a printed version after being published for 75 years. 

 

Davey, a senior at Philip Simmons High School, will have her winning piece featured on the back cover of the March 2025 directory.

 

The Art Challenge has been one of Home Telecom’s long-running educational outreach programs, aimed at spotlighting art departments and gifted students in public schools. The contest encourages Berkeley County students to compete for “the best artistic depiction of Lowcountry scenes, historical locations, or local events,” according to a Home Telecom press release.

 

Davey explained that she read an article about a native otter in the Santee Canal, and she and her art teacher agreed that the playful swimmer would be the perfect subject for the contest.

 

Paige Duvall, fine arts teacher at Philip Simmons High School, praised Davey’s talent, stating, “Caroline is an exceptionally motivated, intelligent, and creative student. Her dedication to her work is remarkable, which is why I selected her for this competition.”

 

Davey’s commitment to her craft started in sixth grade, and she has taken art classes in school ever since. She’s a member of the National Art Honor Society and regularly participates in art-related service projects in the community.

 

“We work on murals for our school, help Philip Simmons Middle School students during their annual tie-dye day, and decorate playhouses for Habitat for Humanity’s Project Playhouse,” she said. 

 

Duvall, an innovative instructor and the PSHS 2025 Teacher of the Year, is dedicated to expanding her students’ perspectives.

 

“Our art program stands out due to its mixed media approach to all projects. Students rarely rely on a single medium to create successful pieces. They start by mastering each medium and then explore the various ways to combine them. The outcome is dynamic, colorful, and original artwork,” she said.

 

“Additionally, students have the opportunity to engage with local artists through field trips and exhibitions. We also organize history and science field trips to inspire their creativity, resulting in well-rounded, multidisciplinary themes in their art.”

 

Philip Simmons High School will receive a $1,000 prize as the sponsoring school for the contest winner, which Duvall indicated will be used to purchase new art supplies and fund additional field trips.

 

Over the course of 11 years, Home Telecom has highlighted talented students and awarded more than $60,000 to participating art departments in the Berkeley County school system.

 

Davey said that she was excited to have her artwork grace the last cover of the published directory. Next year, she plans to attend Trident Technical College to become a certified paramedic.