Caitlin Farr built a horse out of barn scraps, horseshoes and old bits of tack. On April 25, the Wylie High School junior learned that sculpture had earned her a Gold Seal at the Texas Visual Arts Scholastic Event state competition in San Marcos, making her only the second student in Wylie High history to win the award.

Her work is now on display. Gold Seal artworks are being exhibited at The Legacy Gallery at the Robinson Fine Arts Center through Sept. 18, then move to the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center from Sept. 28 through Nov. 6.

Out of more than 32,000 student entries statewide, just 2,154 advanced to the state level, and only 151 received a Gold Seal, according to The Wylie Growl, the school's student newspaper. WHS art teacher Alexis Hughes told the Growl that Farr's Gold Seal placed her in the top 7% of competing artists in Texas.

Farr said she wanted to create something outside the typical VASE entries. Growing up around horses, she knew their anatomy better than any other subject and loved western art. She taught herself MIG welding at home and picked up stick welding with the help of Ag Mechanics teacher Cody Smith, who also gave her access to a plasma cutter for shaping pieces of the horse's neck.

The materials tell the story: a long shank snaffle bit forms the jaw, a short high port spade bit sits inside the head, and horseshoes, nuts, washers, a wrecking bar, a hoe and an old metal stirrup make up the rest of the body. Sheet metal for the neck and ears came from the WHS Ag shop. Everything else Farr scavenged from her family's horse barn.

"At first, I was blown away," Farr said. "Going to VASE the year before, a 'Gold Seal' just kind of seemed out of reach for me, and I was okay with that. But when Mrs. Camp told me I got it, all I could do was smile."

This was Farr's second year competing at VASE.

Wylie ISD sent 22 qualifiers to the state competition and came home with 15 state medalists, according to the district. The district's art program has been named a TAEA District of Distinction for three consecutive years, placing it among just 9% of Texas districts to earn that recognition for the 2025-26 school year.

Where to see it: The Gold Seal exhibit runs at the Robinson Fine Arts Center Legacy Gallery through Sept. 18, then at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center from Sept. 28 through Nov. 6.