Kyler Blake '26 - Wins Statewide Environmental Art Contest

Broadwater Academy Senior Wins Statewide Environmental Art Contest

Broadwater Academy senior Kyler Blake has been awarded first place in the Visual Arts division of the statewide Tides of Tomorrow: The Jane Brinkley Thumm Memorial Arts Contest, presented by Wetlands Watch.

The contest invites Virginia high school students to create work responding to the lived experience of sea level rise, flooding, and life along the Commonwealth’s changing waterways. According to Wetlands Watch, the competition encourages young artists to explore “what water changes, what it leaves behind, and what forms of resilience, memory, and imagination emerge as communities learn to live at the changing edge of water.”

Blake’s piece, titled “The Final Nesting Tide,” earned first place among student entries from across the state. His dynamic sculpture depicts a familiar scene, the fragile edge of a coastal marsh. The composition features a hand-carved miniature fiddler crab decoy emerging from a peat-encrusted mud tump, crowned with painted brass marsh grass and a real bird’s nest containing a hand-carved egg. Surrounding the scene is an epoxy resin pour representing rising water. Looking into the water reveals a fallen egg, symbolizing the delicate balance between life and loss in coastal ecosystems.

In his artist statement, Blake explained that the inspiration for the work comes directly from his experiences growing up on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. “The Final Nesting Tide comes from my life on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Clamming and duck hunting in the marsh has shown me how ever-rising tides change places I depend on. This piece reflects my connection to the water and the balance we must protect.”

The piece explores the fragility and resilience of the Eastern Shore’s marsh landscape—an environment that has inspired Blake throughout his life. Blake, a 17-year-old senior at Broadwater Academy, grew up on Virginia’s rural Eastern Shore and has long been connected to the outdoors through hunting and time spent on the water. About two years ago, he discovered the art of decoy carving and quickly became dedicated to mastering the traditional craft.

Since then, Blake has sought mentorship from renowned local decoy carvers, including Billy Crockett, learning the techniques and traditions of the art form while developing his own voice as an artist. His dedication to the craft has allowed him to progress rapidly, and with “The Final Nesting Tide,” he expanded his work beyond wood carving into mixed media with commendable success.

“Kyler has a deep respect for the traditions of decoy carving, but what makes him stand out is his thirst to push the craft in new directions and his constant drive to expand and refine his skills,” said his art teacher, Tatum Ford. “I’ve had the privilege of watching Kyler grow as an artist from elementary school through his senior year, and seeing his dedication and talent develop over that time has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career. This piece reflects both his deep connection to the Eastern Shore landscape and his growing confidence as an artist.” The contest is held in memory of Jane Brinkley Thumm, a Norfolk native whose artwork spanned multiple mediums while remaining deeply rooted in the landscapes she loved. Thumm continued creating art well into her nineties, and the competition honors her legacy of careful observation, creative exploration, and connection to place.

Blake’s award-winning sculpture embodies those same values—capturing the beauty, vulnerability, and enduring spirit of Virginia’s coastal environment.