First Place Winners

"Peace" by Casey Goodwin, Age 10, of Las Vegas

First place in the poem category went to Casey Goodwin, 10, of Las Vegas. Upon learning of her win, Goodwin said, “I wanted to write a poem about peace because I think it’s so important to have peace in the world. It’s so cool it will be a song. Can I hear it now?”

Torres, a student of Larry Gluck’s Mission: Rennaisance Fine Arts Studio, said, “I wanted to make a picture of birds getting along together’because if they can, why can’t we? We should all have fun and enjoy each other, not fight.”

“Nina’s drawing is surprisingly brilliant,” said Los Angeles artist Synthia Saint James, the critically acclaimed illustrator of the U.S. Kwanzaa Postal Stamp. Saint James judged the art portion of the contest.

Both children also receive a limited edition print of the Saint James painting, “Harmony,” which graced the cover of Hull’s award-winning Peace in Our Land: Children Celebrating Diversity album.