Seventh Annual Student Art Contest

Thank you to all who entered our Student Art Contest!

Eleven finalists were selected from over 100 student submissions from across Wisconsin based on the theme “Life is full of magical moments.” Students could submit pieces of art that focus on capturing an uplifting moment. Through art, we are celebrating what makes life’s moments so magical. This could be a moment the student or someone witnessed or felt happiness, love, or joy, a moment in time they wish they could freeze or revisit, or a moment they look forward to or cherish.

Congratulations to this years winners!

Brooklyn Kiel, Grade 1, Royall

Artist Statement: I like mixing the colors together to get different colors. It brings me joy because of the different kinds of flowers and how the flowers have blended colors.
When I look at my painting it makes me feel happy.

Eliana Hajewski, Grade 1 Walworth

Artist Statement: In the summer, my mom takes me to different beaches. I love to swim in the water and play in the sand.  I also love to look for fish in the water and shells in the sand. I am happiest when I am at the beach with my mom.

Niles Janzen, Grade 5, Fernwood

Artist Statement: This art piece was created using mixed media collage which includes acrylic paint, color pencil, magazine clippings, found objects and glitter glue.

This is a magical day on the beach radiating appreciation for family and nature. The intense colors represent the richness of so many blessings and cultures that carrying me through even in the hardest of times.. I hope people look at this picture and feel happiness and belonging. I pray the ugly moments of hurt, loss and discrimination, don’t out way the good ones. May the peace doves love louder than war machines.

Mia Salas, Grade 7, Elmbrook

Artist Statement: The title of my oil pastel drawing is “Sweet Oranges”. Oranges remind me of summer time and when I peel an orange it helps me feel relaxed. The citrus smell that comes from peeling an orange is fresh and invigorating. Oranges always improve my mood and can make any moment in life feel magical.

Cambria Branson Grade 7, Waupun

Artist Statement: When I look at my art I imagine being there with the little river otter and butterfly kisses. I created my digital art to be the most magical moment I could imagine. I positioned the two in a playful manner, to show their natural curiousness of how animals can be. The challenge was getting the fur texture to flow right and still show the highlights of where the otter was wet from swimming. The fur has many different hues to it, which was difficult to try and place them in the right spots. For the background I wanted to have the color contrast both with the orange from the wings on the monarch butterfly and also the red tones in the otters fur. I tried different colors and styles for the background. In the end I decided on the blue green watercolor background, since red and green and the blue and orange are complementary colors. I really like how my magical moment turned out.

Kaitlyn Eastberg, Grade 9, Berlin

Artist Statement: This fits the theme because it is a memory and shows a feeling that can’t be
described, it’s a small thing that gives a feeling of happiness and in the moment good feeling. it is a chalk drawing of my dog overlooking the water at my grandpa’s lake.

Lucy Marks, Grade 10, Berlin

Artist Statement: This acrylic painting is inspired by my happy place, the lake. Ever since I was younger, I would go with my family to this private section of land that consists of a table and chairs, picnic tables, and a couple of docks. A few memories I shared with others were swimming with cousins, campfires, and getting pulled by a fourwheeler on a sled in the winter with my uncle before he passed away. Once I got older, my family and I moved closer to this and added onto it making the place extra special. We made a few trails, a treehouse, and saucer swing all in one summer! This piece of land has brought so many magical moments to me and so many others.

Lily Schmidt, Grade 11, Wautoma

Artist Statement: While I was creating this piece, I was initially very indecisive of how I should place it on the paper.  I decided to cut the pictures into similar pieces, somewhat creating a puzzle to put together.  I believe the puzzle effect gave it some level of distortion because the pieces were not where they were initially supposed to be.

Allison Seanor, Grade 11, Wausau

Artist Statement: This is a self portrait that I did with acrylics and it is a collage of all the things that I like that make me happy. It expresses my colorful and playful personality and gives people an inside look at who I am. Just looking at everything in this piece puts a smile on my face and I hope it has that effect on other people too.

Kylie DeBerg, Grade 11, Union Grove

Artist Statement: This is an acrylic painting of two of my friends, Ryah and Aydan, on our last day together before Ayden moved to Oregon. We all got up early to hug him one last time before we had to go to school, and he had to get in the U-haul cab. I wrapped the yarn around the painting to symbolize wanting to hold that moment, tie it up tight, and live in it forever. Hands are to pray, to beg, to hold, and to squeeze tightly.

Ellise Markevitch, Grade 12, Wausau

Artist Statement: This piece, titled “A Quiet Love”, represents the love that exists between people who have been together for a long time. Those who understand and respect each other, who show their love in subtle touches, and who still find happiness in each other’s company. In fact, the hands pictured in this piece are the hands of my mother and father, who have been married for a little over twenty years now.

Loeymae Lange Memorial Best in Class

The “Best in Class” award is named in memory of Loeymae Lange, who taught art at Cooper Elementary school in Burlington, Wisconsin, for 30 years. Her brother, Dr. Paul Lange, and his wife June have graciously honored Loeymae’s legacy and love for art by providing this memorial gift to the WEA Member Benefits Foundation, Inc.

Our 2022 Loeymae Lange Memorial Best in Class winner: