Art competition shows off creativity of Greene County students

XENIA — Local students’ creativity is on display at the Xenia Public Library, after Greene County Juvenile Court and the Greene County Public Library partnered to host an art competition for county students in grades 7-12.

The theme of the competition was “Our World through the Eyes of Children,” and the children’s works will be displayed at Greene County Juvenile Court and other places throughout the county on a rotating basis for the next few months.

Judges for the competition included Judge Amy Lewis of Greene County Juvenile Court, director of Greene County Public Library Karl Colon, and Rosa Rojas, Curatorial Manager at the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center.

“You have to follow the thing that keeps pushing you, no matter what other people are telling you,” Rojas told participants Thursday, adding that her life experience has led her to encourage the passions of children.

First place winner and eighth grader Savannah Garrett is homeschooled, and entirely self-taught.

“I just kind of went with it,” Garrett said of her prizewinning piece. “Kids have big imaginations. I thought it would be cool if the clouds could talk to you, and kids could be friends with the stars.”

Sisters Aletheia and Eva Harris entered the competition together, Aletheia with her jigsaw-style woodworking sculpture, titled ‘Pax.’

“I printed out the design a bunch of times, cut out the pieces of the wood, put painter’s tape on the wood pieces, and cut it out,” Aletheia said.

The students’ works are on display at the Xenia Community Public Library until May 5.

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