We are proud to present the Department (state) winners of the 2019-2020 VFW Auxiliary’s Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest. The annual contest began in 1979 and recognizes up-and-coming artists and encourages patriotism in youth. More than 4,000 students submitted entries and a total of $31,000 in national scholarships was awarded to nine students in 2020. Learn more about the contest and view all the previous first-place national winners.
Second Place
$7,500 Scholarship
Department of Oklahoma
Third Place
$3,500 Scholarship
Department of New Jersey
Untitled
Allison Mroczek, 11th Grade
Ultimate Sacrifice
Zadie Shea LaValley, 12th Grade
Heroes Then, Heroes Now
Andrew J. Kim, 10th Grade
Fourth Place
$1,500 Scholarship
Department of Oregon
Oregon City High School
Media: Oil Paint and Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 1324
Oregon City, Oregon
Fifth Place
$1,500 Scholarship
Department of Nevada
Pahrump Valley High School
Media: Acrylic, Airbrush and Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 10054
Pahrump, Nevada
Sixth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Virginia
Broadway High School
“Untitled”
Media: Oil Paint
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9660
Broadway, Virginia
Seventh Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Arizona
Hamilton High School
Media: Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9399
Apache Junction, Arizona
Untitled
Alannah Twede, 10th Grade
Untitled
Larky White, 11th Grade
Untitled
Faith Erin Jones ,12th Grade
A Return Home
Amanda Wong, 11th Grade
Eighth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Illinois
Blue Ridge High School
Media: Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 6190
Farmer City, Illinois
Ninth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Arkansas
Home Schooled
Media: Pen
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 1341
Bull Shoals, Arkansas
Tenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Alabama
Foley High School
Media: Colored Pencil, Oil Paint and Pen
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 5658
Eleberta, Alabama
Eleventh Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Alaska
PACE & Eagle River High School
Media: Watercolor
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9785
Eagle River, Alaska
Sacrifice
Sarah Whitehouse, 10th Grade
Eyes of the Forgotten
Khalia Reid, 11th Grade
Survival
Giancarlo Ventura Bravo, 12th Grade
Untitled
Maria Louise Simpson, 10th Grade
Twelfth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of California
Coachella Valley High School
Media: Pencil and Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 3699
Indio, California
Thirteenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Colorado
Antonito High School
Media: Graphite
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 4849
Antonito, Colorado
Fourteenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Connecticut
Putnam High School
Media: Arcylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 1523
Putnam, Connecticut
Fifteenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Delaware
Winston Learning Academy
Media: Nails, Embroidery Floss, Wood and Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 7478
Greenwood, Delaware
Our Freedom
Graciela Tijerina-Cruz, 11th Grade
Not Forgotten
Alexis Mondragon, 12th Grade
Untitled
Hannah O. Smith, 11th Grade
Untitled
Marcy Elise Scheerer Winston, 10th Grade
Sixteenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Florida
Manatee School for the Arts
Media: Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9226
Ellenton, Florida
Seventeenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Georgia
Berrien High School
Media: Permanent Marker, Pencil and Ebony
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 4830
Moultrie, Georgia
Eighteenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Idaho
Valley High School
Media: Colored Pencil, Pen and Glitter
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 3001
Jerome, Idaho
Nineteenth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Indiana
Roncall High School
Media: Oil Paint and Ink
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 5864
Greenwood, Indiana
Brotherhood
Mia Hereford, 12th Grade
Silent, but Loud Salute
Julia Sullivan, 10th Grade
United We Stand
Mackenzie Dimond, 12th Grade
Picture Perfect
Logan Mercui, 11th Grade
Twentieth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Iowa
Harlan Community High School
Media: Pencil and Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 941
Harlan, Iowa
Twenty First Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Kansas
Ellis High School
Media: Charcoal
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9139
Ellis, Kansas
Twenty Second Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Kentucky
Mooney’s Homeschool
Media: Watercolor
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 5710
Shepherdsville, Kentucky
Twenty Third Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Louisiana
Eunice High School
Media: Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 8971
Eunice, Louisiana
Untitled
Abby Lefeber, 11th Grade
Heart of the Brave
Veronica Bieker, 11th Grade
Untitled
Lilly M. Mooney, 12th Grade
The Power of Red Ink
Abigail Miller, 12th Grade
Twenty Forth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Maryland
Bohemia Manor High School
Media: Watercolor
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 7687
Chesapeake City, Maryland
Twenty Fifth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Massachusetts
Bishop Stang High School
Media: Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9059
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
Twenty Sixth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Minnesota
New York Mills High School
Media: Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 3289
New York Mills, Minnesota
Twenty Seventh Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Mississippi
Home Schooled
Media: Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 12124
Meridian, Mississippi
Sacrifices
Sophie Burns, 12th Grade
Untitled
Quinn Sullivan, 12th Grade
Safe in His Arms
Molly Swanz, 12th Grade
America’s Symbols
Lorna Brooke Smith, 10th Grade
Twenty Eighth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Missouri
Louisiana High School
Media: Charcoal
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 2866
St. Charles, Missouri
Twenty Ninth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Montana
Whitefish High School
Media: Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 276
Whitefish, Montana
Thirtieth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Nebraska
Plattsmouth High School
Media: Charcoal
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 8334
Omaha, Nebraska
Thirty First Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of New Hampshire
Keene High School
Media: Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 799
Keene, New Hampshire
Grandpa
Titania Niedner, 12th Grade
Four-Legged Hero
Bethany Barnes, 11th Grade
Sacrifice
Alexander Prince, 12th Grade
Old Glory on the Horizon
Sophie Craven, 12th Grade
Thirty Second Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of New Mexico
Piedre Vista High School
Media: Acrylic and White Gel Pen
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 614
Aztec, New Mexico
Thirty Third Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of New York
Gouverneur Central School
Media: Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 6338
Gouverneur, New York
Thirty Forth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of North Carolina
Surry Central High School
Media: Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 7794
Elkin, North Carolina
Thirty Fifth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of North Dakota
West Fargo High School
Media: Colored Pencil and Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 7564
West Fargo, North Dakota
Untitled
Julie Lovato, 11th Grade
Untitled
Christopher Trejo, 12th Grade
Semper Fi
Delia Chavez, 11th Grade
One Day at a Time
Korri Dragt, 12th Grade
Thirty Sixth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Ohio
Ridgemont Local Schools
Media: Acrylic
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 6817
Mt. Victory, Ohio
Thirty Seventh Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Pennsylvania
Hickory High School
Media: Charcoal
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 6166
Hermitage, Pennsylvania
Thirty Eighth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of South Carolina
Irmo High School
Media: Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 4262
Columbia, South Carolina
Thirty Ninth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of South Dakota
Stevens High School
Media: Graphite Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 1273
Rapid City, South Dakota
Window in Time
Cameron Lowery, 12th Grade
Untitled
Nora E. Logue, 11th Grade
On The Battlefield
Justin T. Farmer, Jr., 11th Grade
American Protector
Jase Jarding, 12th Grade
Fortieth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Tennessee
Station Camp High School
Media: Colored Pencil, Watercolor and Paint
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9851
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Forty First Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Texas
Obra D. Thompkins High School
Media: Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9182
Katy, Texas
Forty Second Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Utah
Viewmont High School
Media: Graphite, Ink and Watercolor
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 8307
Layton, Utah
Forty Third Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Vermont
Burr and Burton Academy
Media: Charcoal
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 6471
Manchester Center, Vermont
Putting on My Bootstraps
Kathryn Minchew, 11th Grade
An Embrace from Heaven
Zoe Puno, 10th Grade
Ancestry That Served With Honor
Emily Ann Pace, 12th Grade
Home of the Brave
Slone Pirie, 12th Grade
Forty Fourth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Washington
Tacoma School of the Arts
Media: Watercolor, Paint Pen and Pen
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 10018
Tacoma, Washington
Forty Fifth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of West Virginia
Washington High School
Media: Colored Pencil, Graphite and Watercolor
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 3522
Charles Town, West Virginia
Forty Sixth Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Wisconsin
Oostburg High School
Media: Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 9156
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Forty Seventh Place
$500 Scholarship
Department of Wyoming
Cody High School
Media: Charcoal and Colored Pencil
Sponsored by VFW Auxiliary 2673
Cody, Wyoming
Honor
Alexis Attebery, 12th Grade
Poppy
Bryn Ward, 9th Grade
Untitled
Patience Ann Theune, 11th Grade
Untitled
Ashley Johnson, 12th Grade