Artwork above – 3rd Place Senior Category: Cynthia Liu – Arizona
The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO), in partnership with National Aeronautic Association (NAA), announced the names of winners of the 2023 U.S. Youth Aviation Art Contest. The judging was conducted by representatives from: You Can Fly, the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation; American Society of Aviation Artists (ASAA); NAA; NASAO; Signature Flight Support and the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
This year, NASAO received over 150 pieces of art from 20 participating states. National winners included students from Kansas and New Jersey, with two students being recognized from Arizona, North Carolina and Virginia.
“It’s really great to see two Virginia students being recognized at the national level for their artistic talent,” said Greg Campbell, director of the Virginia Department of Aviation. “The international aviation art contest was created to help inspire young people, but the quality of their artwork actually inspires all of us in the aviation community! We wish them well at the international level of judging.”
Bobby Walston, NCDOT Division of Aviation Director, said they’re pleased that two talented young artists are receiving the recognition they deserve at the national level and equally delighted to have such widespread participation in their state competition – nearly 1,500 entries this year. “Our goal with this contest is to expose young people to the world of aviation and hopefully inspire some of them to pursue aviation careers. The inspiring work of these two students and others will surely do that.”
The annual contest is part of a larger international effort to inspire youth to illustrate the importance of aviation through art. Contest submissions were grouped into three separate age categories for judging, allowing students ranging from 6 – 17 years old to compete. The 2023 theme was “Air Sports and the Environment” which encouraged students to create inspirational artwork, showcasing how aviation can be a catalyst to protect the planet.
To qualify for the national contest, all artwork was first submitted into state-level competitions, with the winning entries advancing for national consideration. The national winners have been submitted for the 2023 International Aviation Art Contest, which will be judged in June by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
Congratulations to the 2023 Winners:
Junior Category:
1st Place: Yuham Lam – New Jersey, Age 9 2nd Place: Callie Hu – Virginia, Age 9 3rd Place: Ian Shan – Arizona, Age 9
Intermediate Category:
1st Place: Jihyeon (Elly) Han – Kansas, Age 13 2nd Place: Tongfei Karen Ji – Virginia, Age 13 3rd Place: Renata Albano – Arizona, Age 10
Senior Category:
1st Place: Isabel Chang – North Carolina, Age 17 2nd Place: Audrey Song – North Carolina, Age 15 3rd Place: Cynthia Liu – Arizona, Age 14
