Arkansas Peace Week knows how to use creativity and art to build peace! As part of their impressive line-up of events, they held a peace essay and art contest for young people. The finalists of the art contest were displayed in the Arkansas State Capitol Rotunda for a week prior to announcing the winners. (See winners below.) What a great reminder to the state legislators that the young people care about peace! You can see more of the submissions here. Meanwhile, locals rallied at the wall of peace murals on 7th Street to do restoration and clean-up on pre-existing murals and prepare for the addition of new ones. 

Arkansas Peace Week Art and Essay Contest Winners

The Arkansas Peace Week Essay Contest, for 7th – 12 grade students, featured essays on the theme:

 “In 2022 the FBI reported that Arkansas has the nation’s 4th highest rate of violent crime. How has violence impacted you and your communities? What can be done to reduce violence in Arkansas?”

The Arkansas Peace Week Art Contest, for 1st -12th grade students, featured art pieces addressing the theme:

“What does peace mean to you? Depict a more peaceful community in your art entry.”

We received over 2,000 art entries and 300 essay entries from all over the state. We thank all the students that participated. They have shown great skill in writing their essays and creating in their art. More importantly they have contributed to the critical work of peacemaking.

Award winners from both contests were announced at events at the Arkansas State Capitol Rotunda on September 23. Essay winners from each age group were invited to read their essays at this event.

Photographs of winning students and winning artwork is available on request.

Following are our winners.

Essay Contest Winners

7th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Amelia Grisham, “A Safe Place,” Hot Springs Junior Academy

• 2nd Place Kylie Rodriguez, “Volunteering Vanquishes Violence,” Homeschool, Cabot

• 3rd Place Kami Perry, “My look at a less violent Arkansas,” Hazen High School

8th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Rory Strasser, “Arkansas Has A Problem,” Jacksonville Middle School

• 2nd Place Demetrick Tidwell, “Talking About Peace Week,” Dunbar Magnet Middle School

• 3rd Place Nora Gonzales, “Violence in my School,” Annie Camp Junior High School

9th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Annaliese Brown, “Violence in a Community,” Woodlawn High School

• 2nd Place Michael Bowman, “States Not United,” Hazen High School

• 3rd Place Madison Reed, “Help for the Children and the Uncapable,” Southside Junior High School

10th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Alexandria Evans, “Keep Arkansas Peaceful,” White Hall High School

• 2nd Place Keira McKinley, “Reducing Violence,” White Hall High School

• 3rd Place Aynslea Stokes, “The Truth about Arkansas,” Southside School District

11th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Blanche Finzer, Little Rock Central High School

• 2nd Place Ava Gillespie, “It's Time To Make A Difference,” Russellville High School

• 3rd Place Abigail Myrick, “The Impact of Violence,” Guy Perkins High School

12th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Lucy Burks, “Handling Violence,” Little Rock Central High School

• 2nd Place Kaylah Atungulu, “The Violence that Hides,” Haas Hall Academy at the Jones Center

• 3rd Place Kennedi Scaife, “My Vision of Peace,” eStem High School

Art Contest Winners

1st Grade Winners

• 1st Place Jasper Wilkes, “Battle for Peace,” Landmark Elementary School PCSSD

• 2nd Place Duy Tran, “Peace Peace,” Barton Elementary

• 3rd Place Adaleigh Wewers, “Being Nice Neighbors,” Paris School District

2nd Grade Winners

• 1st Place Amelia Trent, “Building Love,” Gentry Primary

• 2nd Place Christopher Raynor, “Peace Turns Mad Into Happy,” Landmark Elementary

• 3rd Place Kehlea House, “Peace Train,” Bearden Elementary

3rd Grade Winners

• 1st Place Kwesi Montaque, “Peace Has No Shade,” Scholar Made Unified Academies

• 2nd Place Kinsley Williams, “Peace is the Best,” Barton Elementary

• 3rd Place Aliana Horton, “Peace,” Sylvan Hills Elementary School

4th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Ellie Rodriguez, “Growing Peace,” Cabot Homeschool

• 2nd Place Travis Peck, “Arkansas Peace,” Parkway Elementary

• 3rd Place Zylah Scholes, “Peace Changes Everything,” Cutter Morning Star

5th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Andrina Robinson, “When We Join Hands, We Become UNSTOPPABLE, Community Peace,” Hardin Elementary

• 2nd Place Alex Bogert, “Nature’s Band,” Fountain Lake

• 3rd Place Kate Wilson, “Peace, I Declare,” Friendship Lab Schools for Dyslexia

6th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Arianna Lindsey, “Unlimited Peace,” Scholarmade Unified Academies

• 2nd Place Lillian Sexton, “We're All in This Together, No Clique Problem,” White Hall Middle School

• 3rd Place Hallie Morris, “Building Peace,” Alma Middle School

7th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Ada Chen, “United Peace,” Paragould Junior High School ALP

• 2nd Place Ariana Sadiq, “A Call to Peace,” Pulaski Academy

• 3rd Place Jakeelan Taylor, “Rays of Sunshine,” Russellville Middle School

8th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Kimberly Martinez, “Peace of Mind,” Hot Springs Junior Academy

• 2nd Place Ariel Sexton, “We All Bleed Red - All Lives Matter,” Arkansas Virtual Academy

• 3rd Place Sophia Finigan, “Keep Peace in Arkansas,” Hope Academy of Public Service

9th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Jaidyn Randall, “Peace of Mind,” Arkansas Virtual Academy

• 2nd Place Kierstyn Potts, “My Peace Is in God,” Valley View Junior High

• 3rd Place Adeline Robertson, “Aroma of Peace,” Jessieville High School

10th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Amberly Humble, “Simple,” Jessieville High School

• 2nd Place Izabella Bean, “How I Find Peace with the Problem I Have,” Piggott High School

• 3rd Place Cierra Marcum, “Thug Life,” Western Yell County High School

11th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Jordan Rodgers, “Attempting Inner Peace,” Mt Vernon High School

• 2nd Place Sophia Muniz, “All One,” Bauxite High School

• 3rd Place Giana Simington, “988,” Piggott High School

12th Grade Winners

• 1st Place Mahailee Martin, “Peace in our Hands,” Western Yell County High School

• 2nd Place Eleena Guenther, “Peaceful Arkansas,” Mt Vernon High School

• 3rd Place Kamma Reed, “Peace for All,” Jessieville High School

Arkansas Peace Week and this contest is made possible by a generous grant through The National Park Service (NPS), in partnership with Jefferson National Parks Association (JNPA)and the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.

Arkansas Peace Week is a wonderful partner in the Campaign Nonviolence Action Days. Their creative and powerful actions are some of the many events happening as part of the 10th Annual Campaign Nonviolence Action Days, Sept 21-Oct 2. Find more stories here and see all 5,000 actions here.