2021 Art Contest Winners

K-2 Winner:
Journey
Age: 7
Grade: 2nd
“I drew a sunrise because it is a beautiful part of nature.”

K-2 Runner-up:
Sophia
Age: 7
Grade: 2nd
“I painted a rainbow with birds flying in the sky after a stormy day because I love how colorful nature is around us.”

K-2 Runner-up:
Eli
Age: 7
Grade: 2nd
“Hello. My name is Eli. I followed the theme of “Art Surrounds Us” because my artwork is about how the forest and the city are beautiful. The sunset, water and music are beautiful, too. The way I did that is by using scraps of paper and magazines to create buildings, trees, water and the sun. I used pictures of food from magazines to make the forest because it just looks really cool. I even added a picture of myself in there. I used watercolors to make the background and added a few music notes. All of these things are amazing. I hope you like my artwork. Bye!”

K-2 Runner-up:
Amelia
Age: 7
Grade: 2nd
“I drew flowers in a vase because a field of flowers to me would include all the arts – architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry, dance and theater. They are a natural beauty and work of art.”

3-5 Winner:
Vanessa
Age: 9
Grade: 4th
“Why do I think my art is the theme that I’m with? Here is why! Art isn’t supposed to be good. What I mean by that is art DOESN’T have to be good to be art, art can be anything. You might say someone’s art is ugly but you’re not looking at the inside of their art heart. Since art is a drawing coloring painting, it doesn’t have to be perfect, but why is my art the theme? The girl might look mean, and scary, but you’re judging it by the look. Just like us, people get judged because they are ugly. Art can be ugly or pretty. Everyone is beautiful. Art can be anything because the world is art.”

3-5 Runner-up:
Samantha
Age: 11
Grade: 5th
“The title of the painting is 2020 vs. 2021. The left side (the one with the red background) represents the fires and all the bad stuff in 2020 and the right side represents peace and calming views that 2021 will hopefully give us.”

3-5 Runner-up:
Conrad
Age: 10
Grade: 5th
“I was inspired by the current state of the world. I created multiple handmade stamps and chose colors that create new ones when overlapped. These colorful fists represent the difference in cultures, voices and views. The arts are what can Inspire Change. Together we are stronger. Art Surrounds Us.”

3-5 Runner-up:
Scarlett
Age: 11
Grade: 5th
“Sometimes we don’t realize, Art Surrounds Us. Even by breathing onto a glass door, or dragging your finger through the snow, you can create a masterpiece.”

6-8 Winner:
Genevieve
Age: 13
Grade: 8
“The piece is meant to portray how one will focus on a small aspect of art, and ignore the art that surrounds them.”

6-8 Runner-up:
Kaila
Age: 13
Grade: 8
“This art piece represents how ‘art’ can be perceived in many ways. First is nature, the art of the Earth itself. Second is things like music and architecture, as shown with a guitar and kids building a sand castle, as well as the boat in the background. Third is what is generally perceived as art, like painting on a canvas. Finally, the diversity of people around us, who are each a special part of the world’s canvas.”

6-8 Runner-up:
Ellen
Age: 12
Grade: 7th
“My drawing connects to ‘Art Surrounds Us’ because it shows objects that we see everyday related to art.”

6-8 Runner-up:
Sarah
Age: 13
Grade: 8th
“When I think of the word art, I think of paintings and museums. Art is so much more than that. I believe art is anything that is created by imagination and creative skill. Gardens, sculptures, buildings, paintings, photos, poems, music and so much more are considered art. My first thought was to draw art around the world. Then I realized that there is a lot of Art of various types in Illinois. I believe art is not only found around the world; it is found in Illinois. It can even be in your own home. To represent the theme that art is all around us, I decided to incorporate different art pieces from Illinois into my drawing. I wanted to explain that art is all around the people of Illinois.”

9-12 Winner: OVERALL WINNER
Bella
Age: 15
Grade: 10th
“I see art everywhere, especially in nature and the sky. Most people can see images and shapes in clouds on a blue summer day, but to me, it’s those who can see the same in the darkness that are truly searching for art that surrounds us.”

9-12 Runner-up:
Emilia
Age: 18
Grade: 12^th
“I made this painting to show people what it’s like to have anxiety. How it’s like there’s someone always putting negative thoughts in your head. Art and Beauty is all around me, but my anxiety can make me blind to it. As a person with anxiety, there isn’t enough art out there that I feel I can relate to, when to make mental health feel less taboo, there should be more.”

9-12 Runner-up:
Katherrin
Age: 16
Grade: 11^th
“Living in a time with so much division, finding commonality is truly a rare sight. But I believe art is one of the few things that really unify the whole world as it is a shared innate human experience we can all relate to in some capacity. We live it daily, whether it’s simply humming along to the radio, gawking at a mural downtown or dancing. So in my work, I showcased different types of art – visual, theatrical, architectural, dance, etc. – spiraling around a world to signify how different arts are present in everyone’s everyday lives because art surrounds us – as a human collective – both conceptually and literally.”

9-12 Runner-up:
Jessica
Age: 16
Grade: 10th
“Art is the one thing that got me through this pandemic. It surrounds us in everyday life and art is a way for the voices of the unheard to be seen. It can be hard not seeing loved ones and friends. It can be damaging losing your loved one to this virus and it can be even harder to feel like you’re losing yourself. To always feel like you have to hold in all of your emotions and act strong. I created this illustration to represent emotions through art.”