Giraffes. The Titanic. A pink couch. Martin Luther King Jr. From the whimsical to the thought-provoking, this year’s Youth Art Contest submissions displayed a wide spectrum of imagination and creativity from young artists in our community. Click through the slideshow below to see the winning pieces, all crafted around the theme “A Person, Place, or Time in History.”
LAC launched the Youth Art Contest in 2020 as an outlet for creative young people who may have been feeling cooped up during school closures. LAC member Karen Giguere who co-founded the program, says “I have always wanted to get the general public interested in art. That is one of the reasons I started the student art contest. I hope the contest inspires young people to get involved with their creativity.”
Co-founder Cit Waters also wanted to expand LAC programming to younger people. “The Arts Council had a number of programs catered to the adults in our community,” she says. “But I wanted to inspire younger artists to get involved with our organization as well.”
Selecting winners from a talented group
Judges include experienced and practicing artists and photographers from Londonderry and nearby. Selecting winners is not an easy task when each submission showcases a child’s creativity and inspiration. Contest judge Kelly Jones tells us about her criteria: “I absolutely enjoy exploring each artist’s interpretation of theme, their creative approach, and individual style. Skill level, originality, and quality of work, are also considerations.”
Viewing the pieces at the Leach Library
All first, second, and third place winners received a gift card for art supplies and an opportunity to display their original work at the Leach Library as part of our Featured Artist program. We encourage everyone to stop in at the library through February 28th and tour the easels that line the perimeter–turn left after the circulation desk to start with the youngest artists and then walk counterclockwise. Notice the range of interpretations of our theme, from portraiture to realism to ecological imagery, and enjoy the young artists’ curiosity and compassion about our world.
On the way out, don’t miss Anna Nahlik’s striking and very apropos painting Pink Couch at the front entrance–and sign up for a library card at the circulation desk while you’re at it!
Looking forward to the future of young artists
Thanks to our sponsors and funding sources, LAC plans to continue holding the Youth Art Contest annually, possibly expanding and broadening related opportunities. Cit Waters says “My hope is to continue to grow the Youth Art contest in a way that would lead to additional events for local young artists in the future.”
Details for next year’s contest will be posted here in fall 2023. You can also view all of this year’s fantastic submissions.