Three outstanding 12th-grade artists have been selected to win $500 U.S. Savings Bonds or the equivalent in the annual Bangor Daily News-sponsored Maine Student Art Show.

The winners, chosen from a field representing schools from the entire state, are Heather Gay of Bucksport High School, Heli Rajasalo of Bangor High School, and Tracy Lee Vachon of Massabesic High School in Waterboro.

Heather Gay, 17, is active in the Drama Club and appeared in “Grease” last November. She is a member of the Senior Executive Council and a participant in the University of Maine Gifted and Talented Art Program. She plans to attend the University of Maine, Orono, to major in Spanish. Gay is the daughter of Linda Gay and Edward Gay Jr.

Heli Rajasalo, 17, is a native of Kajaani, Finland, and is attending Bangor High School as an exchange student. She is staying with the family of Donald and Andrea Hawkes. She studied art in school in Finland for several years, and is taking advanced drawing as an independent study class this semester.

Her other activities included field hockey and winter track, but a broken ankle has prevented her from continuing athletic activities this spring. She plays the saxophone.

Rajasalo says of her winning art, “I enjoyed doing the charcoal pencil drawing of the old man; like the strong lines and the deep shadows on his face — they made him look so old and sad.” This is her first visit to the United States and she likes it.

Tracy Vachon, 18, is the daughter of David and Joyce Vachon of Shapleigh. In her spare time, she likes to take walks on the beach to search for new ideas for a painting or drawing. She says her parents are a great influence on her life and on her art. She plans to attend college and study public relations.

“I love being near people. I am currently employed at Brooks Drug Store in Sanford. I really enjoy working with the customers,” she said.

The winning artwork will be among that selected to travel around the state during the next school year in the University of Maine Museum of Art Traveling Art Show. Interested schools can contact the University of Maine to schedule an art exhibit in their area.

Judges for the exhibit were Holly Bertrand, Bucksport; Otto Harris, Gorham and Deirdre O’Flaherty, York.