Hazelwood East High School’s Khloe Wallace Award-Winning Artwork Brings History and Emotion to Life

Recent Hazelwood East High School graduate Khloe Wallace is already leaving a lasting mark far beyond the classroom walls.

She recently earned recognition in the Missouri Artistic Discovery Congressional Art Competition for Missouri's First District, sponsored by Wesley Bell, Mo. 1st District. This achievement will place her artwork on display at the St. Louis University Museum of Art through July 15. For Wallace, the honor represents more than a competition win — it is the realization of a dream she has carried for years.

“I just remember my teacher telling me that I won, and I was like, ‘What did I win?’” Wallace said with a laugh. “I never thought I would win something like this.”

Her winning piece is an oil painting of Harriet Tubman beneath a nighttime sky, climbing a mountain with the moon glowing behind her. While Tubman is often portrayed through scenes of struggle and perseverance, Wallace chose to capture something quieter: a moment of peace.

“I got inspiration from this art book detailing her life,” Wallace explained. “One of the pictures that stood out to me was of her just looking at the sky. It felt like a moment of rest for her after all the hard work she had done.”

That sense of calm and reflection became the emotional center of the painting.

“I wanted to portray that feeling, and I wanted other people to feel that when they looked at it as well,” she said.

Throughout the interview, Wallace returned often to the idea of relaxation and emotional connection — themes she says are deeply tied to both her artwork and her personal life.

“Art is something that means a lot to me,” she shared. “I’ve done it ever since I was young, and when I draw, I just feel where I’m most myself, where I’m most calm.”

Wallace believes meaningful art should communicate more than technical skill. Before she begins any project, she focuses first on the emotion she hopes viewers will experience.

“When I paint or draw, I think about the feeling before putting color down,” she said. “If there’s no feeling in it, then it has less value to me.”

The recognition marks the first major competition Wallace has ever won, making the achievement even more meaningful. Having her work displayed publicly in St. Louis — the city where she grew up — adds another layer of pride.

“I’ve always wanted my art to be displayed somewhere,” she said. “Now that I get to do it, especially where I grew up, it means a lot to me.”

Even as Wallace prepares to pursue higher education at Saint Louis University, she has no plans to leave art behind. She intends to study biology while also continuing her creative pursuits in comics, animation, and painting.

“My career goal is to work in pharmacy, creating medicine and things to help people,” Wallace said. “But I also want to do art as well — just to do what I want to do in my life and not give it up for something else.”

As she reflects on her journey, Wallace hopes her story encourages others to remain committed to the things they love.

“If you have something you’re passionate about, like art, you should always pursue it and never give it up,” she said. “You should just do whatever you want to do in life, because you only live once.”

Above all, Wallace hopes viewers take the time to experience her work when they see it on display.

“The thing I want the most is for people to stop and look at it and take in the detail,” she said. “When I go to museums and see artwork, I always stop and look at it because I can feel the thought put into it. That’s how I want people to view my art.”

For Wallace, art is not simply something to observe. It is something to feel.