DOAV Announces 2023 Aviation Art Contest Winners
Eighty-three students from across the Commonwealth submitted compositions to the Virginia Department of Aviation’s (DOAV) annual art contest. This year’s theme, “Air Sports and the Environment,” guided the young artists to create elegant art designs utilizing markers, paint, and colored pencils. The competition is divided into three categories that roughly break down into the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
“These kids are so talented,” said Cindy McNamara, one of the judges with the DOAV. “Choosing winners in each category is very difficult.”
Art was evaluated on elements of color, composition, originality, and connection to the theme. In addition, the department utilized a blind number system so that students’ names and cities were not visible to the judges. The submissions were so exceptional that judges actually added two additional “honorable mentions” per category.
Nine of these student artists will represent Virginia at the national level to be evaluated by the judges of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO). The organization kindled the young artist’s inspiration by suggesting: “letting your imagination fly… as a young artist, to explore the ways that air sports can interact harmoniously with our environment... The beauty and fragility of our earth is simply more evident when viewed from above.”
Winners at the national level will move on to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) competition based in Lausanne, Switzerland, to be judged against aviation art from around the world.
The Virginia Department of Aviation is proud to present the 2023 winners of the Aviation Art Competition:
Group I — Junior Category
First Place: Callie Hu – Great Falls, VA
Second Place: Victoria Zhang – Vienna, VA
Third Place: Ellen Shen – Vienna, VA
Honorable Mention: Weiran Zhang – Great Falls, VA
Honorable Mention: Leo Wu – Falls Church, VA
Group II — Intermediate Category
First Place: Caroline Fu – Falls Church, VA
Second Place: Aspen Xing – Vienna, VA
Third Place: Tongfei Karen Ji – Vienna, VA
Honorable Mention: Janet Li – Herndon, VA
Honorable Mention: Iris Xie – Vienna, VA
Group III — Senior Category
First Place: Kristen Han – Mclean, VA,
Second Place: Nitya Boggavarapu – Henrico, VA
Third Place: Daniella Wu – Great Falls, VA
Honorable Mention: Chloe Xie – Vienna, VA
Honorable Mention: Meredith Yu – Great Falls, VA