Pottstown Martin Luther King Jr. Youth Art Competition winners announced

POTTSTOWN — The 4th annual Martin Luther King Junior Youth Art Competition concluded with an award ceremony held on March 16 featuring young talent and a collective vision for “The Beloved Community,” which Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. viewed as a model on how to treat neighbors with kindness and understanding.

The choice of theme by Rev. Garrison Lockley, pastor of Bethel AME Church, resonated deeply, inspiring artworks that spoke volumes about unity, empathy, and hope, according to a press release about the event.

Lockley is also chairman of the religious affairs committee of the Pottstown NAACP, who sponsors the competition. Coordinator for the contest was Marie Haigh, a Pottstown NAACP branch member and chair of Pottstown Community Arts.

Branch President Johnny Corson attended the award ceremony and praised the young artists for their messages of love and hope.

Among the event’s highlights was a powerful message from Rev. Robin Reed, who encouraged attendees to embrace acts of kindness, as simple as smiling at one another, as a foundation for community building. She connected the ideal of “the beloved community” to Pottstown’s real challenges, such as the need for affordable housing, emphasizing unity in overcoming communal hurdles.

In total, 23 local youths participated in the art competition, ranging from pre-K to 12th grade.

“Through Pottstown Community Arts’ outreach, we were able to connect with more kids than last year which means that this annual art competition continues to grow, but the most inspiring part was watching our young people uniquely express their thoughts and visions for a better community and world,” Haigh said in the press release.

The Rev. Robin Barrow, the Rev. Robin Reed, and Audra Ross were the judges this year.

Below are the list of winners:

High school category:

• 1st place: Diamond Williams. Her artwork was titled “Mosaic Vase.” Her artwork was created with oil pastels during Teen Time at the Pottstown Library.

• 2nd place: Crystal Desiree Williams. Her artwork was titled “The Best Nation is Imagination.” Her artwork was created with Bombay India inks and Sharpie pens during Teen Time at the Pottstown Library.

Middle school category:

• 1st place: Elly Haigh. Her artwork is titled “Gardening and Growing Together.” Her artwork was created with magazines, acrylic markers, pencil, and Bombay India ink.

• 2nd place: Brooke Haigh. Her artwork is titled “We Grow Better Together.” Her artwork was created with fabric, yarn, acrylic markers, and magazines.

• 3rd place: Jayanna Jones. Her artwork is titled “Black and White Heart.” Her artwork was created with tempera paints, often preferring her hands to a paintbrush, during an after-school program at The Ricketts Center.

Elementary school category:

• 1st place: Ashley Chicas Leon. Her artwork is titled “The Beloved Community.” Her artwork was created with graphite pencil, oil pastels, and paper cut-outs during an art class at ACLAMO.

• 2nd place: Logan Morton. Her artwork is titled “Community Shines Brightest Together.” Her artwork was created with scrapbook papers and Sharpie pens during Ms. Marie’s art activity at the Pottstown Library.

• 3rd place: Samantha Mallis. Her artwork is titled “Martin Luther King Jr.’s Lasting Impact.” Her artwork was created with pencil and crayons.

Winners received a gift bag with fun art supplies. 1st place winners also received a gift card from Walmart.

Audra Ross, a board member of Mosaic Community Land Trust and co-founder of Pottstown Community Arts, announced that selected artworks from the competition would be incorporated into a new mural at the Mosaic Community Garden at 423 Chestnut St., a move to celebrate and integrate Pottstown youth’s artistic visions into the community’s landscape.