Belleville Teen Wins Middle School Category With Vibrant Farmscape In Statewide Contest
SPRINGFIELD – Twelve Illinois students who brought new dimensions to their artwork were named winners of the annual art contest sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois State Board of Education. The top entries in four age groups were from George Bandik, 6; Uthman Serir, 10; Alaina Karban, 13, and Steven Jiang, 15. They will be displayed at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, alongside eight runners-up. Karban, 13, a Belleville student, won in the grades 6-8 category with a colorful farmscape. “As my car pulls up in the rocky driveway of my great-grandpa’s farm, I can see the vibrant colors and fun that awaits. … What more could I ask for as my great grandpa lifts me off my feet to give me a big hug,” said the student at Blessed Sacrament School in Belleville. Their entries took viewers from a peaceful farm to the depths of the sea and celebrated relationships ranging from two friends to the