By Manvita Yarramsetty
Following its creation in 1992, the Cooper Young Festival was accompanied by a pre-festival party hosted in Fran Doggrell’s Art Studio on the corner of the Cooper Young Business District. As the festival moved into the early 2000s, the party evolved into an art invitational show for local artists that featured an art competition for young community members. Today, this contest, known as the Young Artists Contest, fosters a love for the arts Mid-South youth by encouraging them to create works related to their community.
According to Cooper Young Business Association (CYBA) executive director Tamara Cook, the themes are usually connected to “what is going on in the neighborhood or world” and are chosen by members of the business district’s board. “When Obama was president, it was ‘Hope and Change,’” says Cook, “and when we were pressing for the Johnny Cash statue a few years ago, it was ‘Cooper-Young celebrated Music and Art.’”
This year’s theme “Historically Hip Cooper Young,” Cook explains, comes from the area’s federally registered trademark as a historically hip lifestyle district. As the Cooper Young Business District approaches its 170th anniversary next year, the board chose a theme related to its roots.
This year’s competition received 290 student submissions, with 12 winners selected. An awards ceremony for the 2018 Young Artist Contest, where recipients will be recognized and presented with a cash prize, will take place Thursday, November 1st, at Peabody Elementary School (2086 Young Avenue). The ceremony will begin at 6:30 p.m., proceeded by a reception for artists and winners from 6 to 7 p.m. All of the works will be on display in the Peabody Elementary cafeteria during the reception. The art show is free and open to the public.
The 2018 Young Artist Contest winners are:
GRADES 1ST-4TH
First Place – Hadley Sugg – Peabody Elementary School
Second Place – Eliza Dill – Peabody Elementary School
Third Place – Elina Roy – Grahamwood Elementary School
Honorable Mention – Penny Natera – St. Agnes Academy
GRADES 5TH-8TH
First Place – Kathy Lam – Colonial Middle
Second Place – Maddie Hooper – Snowden
Third Place – Manvita Yarramsetty – Good Work Studio
Honorable Mention – Eric Cheng – Colonial Middle
GRADES 9TH-12TH
First Place – Avonte Lyles – White Station High School
Second Place – Shridhar Athinarayanan – White Station High School
Third Place – Sara Griffith – White Station High School
Honorable Mention – Michell Zeron – Oakhaven High School
First Place – Hadley Sugg – Peabody Elementary School
Second Place – Eliza Dill – Peabody Elementary School
Third Place – Elina Roy – Grahamwood Elementary School
Honorable Mention – Penny Natera – St. Agnes Academy
First Place – Kathy Lam – Colonial Middle
Second Place – Maddie Hooper – Snowden
Third Place – Manvita Yarramsetty – Good Work Studio
Honorable Mention – Eric Cheng – Colonial Middle
First Place – Avonte Lyles – White Station High School
Second Place – Shridhar Athinarayanan – White Station High School
Third Place – Sara Griffith – White Station High School
Honorable Mention – Michell Zeron – Oakhaven High School