Ashlea Simons Won President's Art Award

The artist received the honor for two scratchboard pieces now held in the permanent collection at Lane Community College.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Fine Art

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Ashlea Simons has won the President's Art Award. The college added the winning scratchboard artworks, Silenced and Balance, to its permanent collection.

Why it matters

The recognition highlights the creative process of the artist, who produced the works to challenge her own limitations and explore new subjects.

The awarded piece Silenced measures 8 by 10 inches, while Balance measures 3 by 5 inches. Each individual artwork required approximately 8 to 12 hours of labor to complete.

The players

Ashlea Simons

She is the artist who earned the President's Art Award for her work in scratchboard.

Lane Community College

This educational institution in Eugene serves as the home for the permanent collection where the new artworks are housed.

The details

Simons created these pieces using scratchboard, a technique involving the removal of black India ink to reveal white clayboard underneath. The artist utilized a variety of tools, including sandpaper, tattoo needles, an X-Acto knife, a Brillo pad, and a fiberglass brush, to achieve the final textures.

October 12, 2026: The article reporting the award win was published.

Industry Dynamics

The recognition of scratchboard art underscores a broader trend in academic and local galleries toward honoring labor-intensive, tactile mediums. This inclusion by Lane Community College aligns with movements to preserve niche artistic skills in an increasingly digital landscape.

Members of the Eugene community can now view the award-winning pieces as part of the permanent collection at Lane Community College. The exhibition offers residents an opportunity to study the specialized techniques used by the artist up close.

The takeaway

Artists can often push their creative boundaries by experimenting with new materials and techniques. Practicing with alternative tools may reveal unexpected textures and artistic potential.