Meet the 2023 contest winners!

We’re thrilled to showcase the winning student art—one winner per grade band. We received a number of great entries, and we’d like to thank all of the students who shared their creativity and culture with us. We also thank the many teachers and families who coordinated their students’ entries. Winners received a $500 Visa gift card from Renaissance.

Winner, Grades K–3

Title: “Somos Unidos”

Artist: Marzhan, grade 2, California

Marzhan’s inspiration: “No matter which language we speak, we are united in the same universe.”

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Winner, Grades 4–8

Title: “Identity”

Artist: Eadlin, grade 7, California

Eadlin’s inspiration: “Heritage months are times to recognize your culture and identity. Many people born of refugees have split identities and are confused when it comes to representation of themselves. My artwork depicts a Spanish woman who has two sides, the portrait colored in graphite being her cultural identity, which she has trouble representing.”

Download the flyer

Winner, Grades 9–12

Title: “The Best of Both Worlds”

Artist: Natalie, grade 12, Alabama

Natalie’s inspiration:

“My main inspiration is my family. Coming from a family of immigrants, I get to see firsthand how hard they work to provide a better life for their loved ones. My project depicts elements of both the American and Hispanic culture and how the cultures and languages of both have been blended by my family to create a better world for us.

“As a child, my family didn’t have a lot of money; therefore, I wasn’t afforded the same opportunities as my peers. However, my family has worked hard to get us to a better place. Now as I move into my senior year, and prepare to head out into the world as an adult, I want to demonstrate my love and appreciation for them through my art.”

Download the flyer

Who selected the winners?

The judging panel consisted of various members of the Renaissance team. They used the following criteria to select one winner in each grade band (K–3, 4–8, and 9–12):

Does the submitted art express the artist’s feelings of celebrating Hispanic Culture?
Does the art meet the dimension specifications?
Is there a creative depiction of Hispanic Culture and bilingualism? Is the originality of the art interesting?
Is there overall quality and command of the medium being used?
Does the art impact the viewer in relationship to the theme?