PHOTOS — Go inside with State Fair Best of Show’s Marie Cutno, a talented 16-year-old artist

Published 12:30 am Friday, April 5, 2024

By Mary Meaux

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Marie Cutno was in the second grade when she decided to draw two Dobermans because she was bored.

When she showed the picture, her mother was puzzled by how well it was drawn and asked her to draw it again.

So she did.

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The rest is history.

In the approximate eight years since that early drawing, Cutno has honed her skills from using graphite to include charcoal, colored pencils and Gelly Roll pens.

The Memorial High School sophomore recently earned Best of Show at the South Texas State Fair in the high school art category.

Art

The 16-year-old, self-taught artist didn’t realize at first that she could draw so well.

“You can ask my parents, it was just an unexpected talent,” Cutno said. “It just happened out of nowhere.”

Cutno carries a portfolio of her work, which shows the progression of her skills. The artwork is dated, and she notes the order they were created in as she recently pulled them from the protective plastic for a Port Arthur Newsmedia reporter.

The wide range of drawings include wild animals, such as a lion, tiger, panther and cheetah, to Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, Princess Shuri from “Black Panther” to horror movie villain Pennywise from “It” and Venom to name a few.

Cutno also noted a colorful drawing of Sonic the Hedgehog, which took 114 hours.

Some of her other drawings, which are lifelike, are 9 X 12 and took 14 to 20 hours to finish, while the drawing that won best of Show was 19 X 24 in size and took two days.

After the announcement of her Best of Show, Adrienne Lott, director of communications for Port Arthur Independent School District, shared the news on social media.

Lott said the post of Cutno and her artwork was seen on more than 42,000 Facebook timelines and viewed by more than 38,000 people on the app.

In addition, more than 8,500 engaged in the post by liking, commenting or sharing.

Cutno was even recognized recently while with her mother at a local store. A clerk did a double take and asked if she was the art student who won Best of Show and had her work posted on social media.

Word of her talent also spread among classmates and beyond, and she receives requests for specific drawings. But she knows it takes time and costly supplies to create her drawings, so she started putting a price tag on her time and talent.

The future

Cutno doesn’t have any immediate plans to attend college or art school, though her art teacher — after her work went “viral”— has been contacting various schools and showing her work to them in hopes of being accepted, Cutno said.

Chemistry teacher Jesseca Ned spoke highly of the student, saying Cutno exemplifies exceptional dedication and diligence.

“Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to excellence, she consistently strives to surpass expectations both academically and artistically,” Ned said. “Her unparalleled work ethic distinguishes her among her peers, positioning her for continued success. Marie’s adept strategic thinking will continue to contribute to her achievement in and outside the classroom.”

Cutno is as ambitious as she is talented, saying she is ready to carve a career with the goal of being a successful artist.

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