Grand Champion Artist
Breaks Record Sale
at Rodeo Auction
Artist nearly side-lined by bout
with flu and smashed thumb
By Cindy Ziervogel
A funny thing happened to Gavin Chin’s artwork on the way to winning the 2008 Fort Bend County Fair Art Grand
Champion, which just happened to fetch the largest auction amount to date. He
almost didn
’t get his entry in.
Last year, as an eighth-grader at Beck Junior High, Gavin was only halfway to
finishing his color pencil drawing,
Facing the Sunset, when two obstacles came his way. First, his friend accidentally smashed his
thumb in his locker. It was his right thumb. The thumb on his drawing hand to
be precise.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, next he came down with the flu. So, with a broken thumb he hobbled
forward working with his left hand while also feeling the overall effects of
fever, aches and pain from the flu. He still managed to complete his drawing,
and on the day his artwork was due his parents delivered it themselves to his
school.
And it’s a good thing, because Gavin’s artwork first won the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Jr. High Champion award
in the spring and was then named Fort Bend County Fair Art Grand Champion in
September. This is a competition where all junior high and high school students
compete together.
Judges and bidders weren’t aware of Gavin’s obstacles, but nevertheless, his work sold for an unprecedented $11,000.
When he created his artwork last year, Gavin was only in the eighth grade at
Beck Junior High. He
’s in the ninth grade now at Cinco Ranch High School, taking art with a different
teacher. Both teachers are amazed by his talent.
“It is extremely unusual to win this award where (older students) who have
developed a greater dexterity and maturity level have a distinct advantage,
” said Nancy Huffman, art teacher at Cinco Ranch High School.
His eighth-grade art teacher agrees and is just as much a fan of Gavin. “I think we were all pretty amazed that any artwork by an eighth-grader could
sell for so much. I hope he sees this as confirmation of his talent and
potential,
” said Ann Harrah, art teacher at Beck Junior High.
Yet, it was Gavin who was really surprised by how well he did. “
I didn’t think I was that great in art,” he said. In fact, his real interests lie in filmmaking. He’s happy he won though because the proceeds have helped fund this passion. He’s already bought an expensive movie camera and is using it to shoot short films.
Gavin lived in California until relocating to Houston with his family in 2003
and comes from a family of filmmakers.
“Someday, when we are out of college, I’d like us to work together on film projects,” he said of his siblings.
His goal is to attend the prestigious University of Southern California
film-making school like his idol George Lucas.
Currently, his brother Justin, 21, is in film school in San Diego, and sister,
Rebecca, 20, is studying film at Baylor University.
If he’s to join all his siblings, especially the younger ones, it’ll be awhile because Kasey is in the seventh grade and Jeffrey is in the sixth
grade at Beck Junior High. But for now, he
’s loving every minute with his new equipment, and says he finally has equipment
more expensive than what his older brother and sister own and is teaching them
things for a change.
Gavin said his parents, Karen and Gene, are very supportive of his “whole film thing” and have helped him buy some of the equipment, too.
Also supplementing the cost of film-making is Gavin’s freelance work, sometimes in video form like the work he did for his church or
graphic art for businesses or nonprofits. Recently, he designed a conference
logo and advertisement flyer for a local chamber of commerce. While still in
elementary school, he taught himself how to use the software of choice for
graphic artists and by the fifth grade his mom helped find him his first
client.
“It’s highly unusual for such a young person to be an entrepreneur,” said Huffman. “Gavin is very talented but even more important, he has a great work ethic and
drive to achieve. Yet, he is just a typical student who likes to joke around
with the other students.
”
Gavin admits he likes graphic art, but it’s a definite second to his love of film-making. Given his creative talent and
accomplishments so far, his teachers agree he
’s on the road to success, no matter in what form. His wit and humor are evident
in his art.
“He is a very creative young man. I believe he will always find a way to
accomplish what he truly wants in life,
” said Harrah.
