By MAGGIE MCMURRAY
Moapa Valley Progress
Moapa Valley High School student Abigail Wallace recently won the Patriotic Art Contest sponsored by the VFW Auxiliary. The contest was aimed at high school students. Any student could enter as long as their subject represented patriotism in some way and was an original work of art. Graphic design, photography and other art styles were not allowed.
Entrants were allowed to copy a work of art, such as a photograph or picture, as long as the actual reproduction in the submitted piece was done entirely by them. Entrants also had to submit a written summary of how their picture represented patriotism.
Wallace chose to do a mixed media piece using a pencil drawing on a watercolor background. The background was a painted representation of the American flag with a pencil drawing of the Andrews sisters in the foreground.
“My grandpa used to listen to the Andrews sisters a lot and introduced me to the band when I was little,” Abigail said. “I thought they would be great inspiration.”
The Andrews sisters were a singing group active during WWII. They entertained Allied forces extensively in America, Africa, and Italy, visiting all branches of the service, hospitals, and war zones.
Wallace won the contest at both the local level and the district level. Her cash award was presented by the VFW Post 8336 Elwood Perkins Auxiliary president Linda Brommer.
Brommer explained that the VFW Auxiliary used to be called the “Ladies Auxiliary” but recently changed to be called just the “VFW Auxiliary” to include anyone who supports a serviceman or woman.
She was very excited to receive Wallace’s entry.
“It is such a fantastic picture.” she said. “I love it.”
Wallace was very excited to hear that she had won.
“I had submitted the painting well before the deadline,” she said. “But then I hadn’t heard anything so I didn’t think much about it. Then when I heard I’d won, I was surprised and very excited.”
She said her favorite thing about the project was learning new techniques.
“This was the first time I had used watercolors and now they are one of my favorite media to work in.”
Wallace entered the contest at the urging of her art teacher, Donna Swanson Forrester, from whom she was taking Drawing II at the time.
“Abigail is driven-she can do anything she sets her sights on,” Forrester said. “I’m proud of her and look forward to what she continues to produce and her growth as an artist.”
Wallace will be moving on to Advanced Art Studies next year at the school.
The contest was promoted at the school by the VFW and they hope that many kids enter next year.
“As veterans, we are proud of these young adults doing this kind of thing because it shows they appreciate veterans,” said Ron Jirak, also of VFW Post 8336.
Interested students can get more information from school counselors or art teachers on next year’s contest.
