Washington, May 30 (IANS) Second Lady Usha Vance announced the winners of a nationwide bookmark design competition that invited elementary and middle school students to express what America means to them ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The Bookmark Design Challenge: Celebrating America’s 250th, organised in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), selected three winners from submissions across the United States.
The winners were Iris Zhang, a first-grader from Fremont, California, in the kindergarten-through-second-grade category; Margaret McCaul, a third-grader from Jacksonville, Florida, in the third-through-fifth-grade category; and Eden Pethel, an eighth-grader from Pendergrass, Georgia, in the sixth-through-eighth-grade category.
The competition asked students to create hand-drawn bookmarks exploring themes including American history and traditions, symbols of unity and democracy, community life and hopes for the nation’s future.
“It was so special to participate in this year’s bookmark design challenge as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary,” Usha Vance said.
“Art plays such an important role in our nation’s history and inspires our young people’s imagination, creativity, and patriotism. Each submission beautifully reflected America’s history through the eyes of our youngest citizens and artists. Congratulations to our winners, and thank you to everyone who helped celebrate this special anniversary by sharing your talents with the entire country!”
Organisers said the winning designs stood out for their creativity, artistic skill and thoughtful engagement with America’s past, present and future.
The challenge was open to students in grades K-8 nationwide and encouraged young artists to reflect on the country’s history while imagining its future. The initiative forms part of broader efforts to engage Americans of all ages in activities leading up to the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
“As we approach this historic milestone, the National Endowment for the Arts is proud to celebrate the voices and visions of young artists,” NEA Chairman Mary Anne Carter said.
“These students remind us of the vital role creativity plays in helping us understand our history, our communities, and our shared future. We congratulate the winners and thank all the participants who contributed their imagination and creativity to this national celebration.”
The winning students will be recognised at a special event during the Great American State Fair, scheduled to take place from June 25 through July 10.
The fair is among a series of events planned to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Organisers have sought to involve schools, community groups, artists and cultural institutions in celebrations highlighting the country’s history, democratic traditions and civic life.
The National Endowment for the Arts, an independent federal agency established by Congress in 1965, supports artistic excellence, creativity and public access to the arts across the country through grants, partnerships and national initiatives. The agency has been working with federal and community partners on several projects linked to the America 250 commemorations.
–IANS
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