It was a deadly creation – a Plague Bird Mask. But it was this gloomy inspiration which earned Madison Hoffman her best achievement this school year – as in Best of Show.

The East Union High School junior’s life-sized three-dimensional ceramics piece was one of the scores of visual art pieces displayed at the annual Visual & Performing Arts Show Tuesday held in the library and cafeteria. The drama department’s performances were presented in the school theater. In the shady courtyard between the cafeteria and the library beneath the majestic evergreens, Lancers’ band director Terry Silveira and his Jazz Band entertained visitors with lively and entertaining musical renditions. The library played host to the visual arts displays which ranged from ceramics, pen and ink, line stamp, photography, and watercolors, just to name a few.

Several students had more than one art work selected for display. Hoffman, for one, had three ceramic pieces that were displayed. Samantha Teresi, a junior, was proud that five of her original creations in pen and ink, line stamp, and printmaking, were among those chosen. Jeet Kau, also a junior, was happy to see one of her entries, a colorful whimsical painting executed in prisma colored pencils, get the judges’ nod for first place.

Judging the students’ art works were East Union Art Department Chairperson Kim Ray, art teacher Jeffrey Moring, and Ray’s husband Charles Barnard who is art director at Glu, a global publisher of mobile games for cell phones located in San Francisco.

Next stop for the Lancers’ top visual arts will be the “Best of the Best” 2014 District Art Show and Sale on April 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. This annual event will be held in the Manteca Unified School District office – first floor – at West Louise Avenue, corner Airport Way. Last year’s district-wide Best of Show went to East Union student Angela Gongora. At the district art show, guests will have the opportunity to purchase any of the students’ displayed art works.