Averill Park Junior Wins Photography Prize | Capital Region

Junior Abigail Hurst from Averill Park High School won first place in the Photography category for Landscape/Nature at the 2026 Capital Region Media Arts Festival for her photograph "Offerings."

Hurst competed against entries from 17 school districts across the region. She also received an honorable mention for a second submission, "Weathered." Sophomore Barbara Demers earned an honorable mention in Photography for Still Life, Objects or Interior Space with her work "Jasper."

Four other APHS students participated: freshmen Alyssa Bonner and Mara Carrig, sophomore Barbara Demers, and seniors Oliver Hindes and Mora Bogart. The festival included work in film, photography, graphic design and animation.

Submissions remain on display at Albany High School. The complete gallery is available at albanyschools.my.canva.site/capital-region-media-arts-fest-2026.