Any competition between schools participating in the Valley Arts Guild's annual High School Art Show didn't overshadow the students' ability to appreciate each other's work.

Although award winners in their own right, Joy Rizor and Jay Son Thompson admired Sharon High School student Brittney Lee's sculpture, "Dolphin Fountain," which won first prize.

The two-piece ceramic work shows two dolphins frolicking underwater, with sun streaks on their backs and colorful sea life around them.

Water is pumped out the top and splashes off the dolphin fins into the base.

"How did she fire that without it exploding?" wondered Joy, of Reynolds High School.

Joy, who took Best of Show last year and Second Place this year for paintings, said Brittney's work inspired her to want to try something like it.

Joy's teacher, Gino Tofani, admired the quality of the painting.

"It's amazing," summed up Jay Son, of West Middlesex High School.

The show, which opens Sunday, features 59 works by artists from nine schools.

West Middlesex won the Best Overall School Award, and West Middlesex students earned four of the 16 individual awards available.

"They had the most strongest pieces," said Judge Ruth Laird of South Pymatuning Township. "They were consistent in the creativity and quality of their work."

Jay Son said of all his works, his drawing of the rock group P.O.D., which won the Second Place award, is his best effort.

"I put a lot of detail into it, like all the tattoos and everything," he said.

Ms. Laird called the overall quality of the show "very good."

"It showed a lot of creativity and hard work by the students," said the substitute art teacher and drawing specialist.

"The kids did a really great job," added Tofani. "It's nice to see the diversity. Each school has a little bit of everything."

Ms. Laird, who teaches at the guild, encouraged the students to keep at their art, saying some showed a talent that could be turned into a career.

"If they keep up with it and are serious about it, quite a few have potential," she said.