The Vachel Lindsay Association is pleased to announce winners for the 2016 Vachel Lindsay Illustration Contest, held in celebration of the life and works of Springfield’s troubadour poet. This year’s contest drew over fifty entries from New Berlin, Sherman and Vachel Lindsay elementary schools. For the contest, students in three age categories were asked to illustrate different Lindsay poems. The winners and honorable mentions in each category are as follows:
“The Little Turtle” – K-1 grades
First Place: Sannuti Gomatham (New Berlin)
Second Place: Brody Bilbruck (New Berlin)
Third Place: Conner Stinson (New Berlin)
Honorable Mention: Caden Comerford (Lindsay) and Lakin Lear (Lindsay)
“The Haughty Snail-King” – 2-4 grades
First Place: Sean Razo (Sherman)
Second Place: Tyler Geyston (Sherman)
Third Place: Calen Lyttaker (Sherman)
Honorable Mention: Ashlynn Bradley (Sherman) and Lily Hess (Sherman)
“The Flower of Mending” – no entries received in the fifth and sixth grade category
Each first-, second- and third-place student artist will receive a copy of a collection of Lindsay’s children’s poetry along with a Barnes and Noble gift card. Judges for this year’s contest were Immanuel Ahiable (emerging artist with the Springfield Art Association Collective) and Scott Faingold (staff writer for Illinois Times and co-host of The Scene at NPR Illinois).
Said Faingold, “It was exciting to see so much color and creativity – Mr. Lindsay would have loved all of these entries.” Ahiable agreed, noting, “It’s really great to see the student interpretations of Vachel Lindsay poems. We definitely have some promising creatives for the future.”
All members of the community are invited to visit the Vachel Lindsay Home State Historic Site over the weekend of May 6-8 (1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.) to view a special “Artists in Residence” exhibition featuring artwork from the winners of this year’s Illustration Contest. Artwork will be on display throughout the Lindsay Home over the weekend, and a brief reception honoring the winners will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 8, 2016.
Vachel Lindsay Association 