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By Karen Smithmyer
 Gazette Staff Writer

It took a giant to beat out the competition and win Best in Show  at the high school art show.

  A giant dragon that is. The dragon's creator is 18-year-old Charles McCahan from Tussey Mountain  High School, who won Best in Show at the 17th Annual Student Art Show at the Bedford County Arts Center.

  The steel dragon called "Enter My Dragon" took weeks to plan, weighs over  250 pounds and is over seven feet tall, McCahan said. Out of the 84 entries from 10 schools, McCahan's clearly towers the other pieces, in size at least.

 "I made it in separate pieces, so the head took a couple weeks and then the body took another week," McCahan said. "Then I spent an entire day putting the whole thing together."

 McCahan is the son of Paige McCahan from Saxton, and said he began using steel for art during his metal working class last year. His teacher prompted him to create an individual project so he decided to make a boat.

 This year, despite not having metal working, McCahan liked the idea of welding for art class.

 "I like being able to take metal and make something out of it," McCahan said. "I would much rather do this than draw something."

 McCahan said it was nice to be recognized through the art show for his work.

 "It really took a lot of work and it was a really fun project to work on."

 After graduation, McCahan said he plans to pursue plans with the military, but would like to keep welding as a hobby.

 Best in Grade awards went to Chaydie Donaldson, a seventh grader at Northern Bedford County Middle School, for her watercolor "Landscape;"

Travis Long, an eighth grader at Everett Area High School, for his "Got Candy" tempera painting; Ben Stair, a freshman at Tussey Mountain High
School, for his "Giant of PNC" wood work; Ali Dodson, a sophomore at Northern Bedford County High School, for her "Christmas Elf" watercolor piece; Alessa Eickel, a junior at Everett Area High School, for her "Fall Spirit" acrylic painting; and Devany Yokum, a senior at Everett Area High School, for a "Retribution" acrylic painting.

 Honorable mention awards were awarded to the following students: Brian Leppert, a seventh grader with Bedford County Homeschool Lighthouse, for his "Indiana Duck Tape" piece made from duct tape; Michelle Fueillet, a freshman at Everett Area High School, for her "Swan Song" tempera painting; Lucila Young, a sophomore at Everett Area High School, for a tempera painting titled "Mystic Me;" Jessica Donelson, a sophomore at Everett Area High School, for her "Sunflowers" acrylic painting; Sean Currier, a junior at Northern Bedford High School, for a watercolor painting he titled "Sacrilegious Scorn;" Dustin Doyle, a senior at Bedford High School, for his "Fall Leaves" colored pencil piece; Ashley Stoudnour, a junior at Chestnut Ridge High School, for her "Tranquility" silver gelatin print; Kayla Greenawalt, a senior at Chestnut Ridge High School, for her piece called "Complimentary Soles" made with colored pencil and ink; Kim Shaw, a senior at Hyndman High School, for her "The Ballerina" tempera painting; and Moriya Kovalyova, a senior at Chestnut Ridge High School, for the "Escape from the Tempest" watercolor and ink piece.

 The 17th Annual Student Art Show at the Bedford County Arts Center for grades 7-12 is on display from March 16-28.  The arts center is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and is located in the Anderson House along Pitt Street in Bedford.