Art contest attendees review works on display outside the library. The theme was “Color Our World,” as it was for the summer reading program.
Summer reading for all age groups at the Cherry Hill library has come to an end.
A final event for the kids and teens who participated in the seasonal challenge was an art contest on Aug. 12 based around the 2025 reading theme, “Color Our World.”
Katie Helf is a youth service librarian.
“We just wanted to have a good night to celebrate art at the end of our summer reading program, and then give families a good place to gather and have fun playing some of the games, vote on the art and have just a nice family event,” she said.
The contest was separated into divisions based on the wide range of ages present. One was for kids 7 to 9, one for preteens 10 to 12, another for participants 13 to 15 and the last for teens 16 to 18.
The contest took place under a tent outside of the library called Friendship Grove, with art pieces lined up on tables on either side. Another table was set up at the back of the tent for refreshments, with seating available in the center.
The library received a total of 25 submissions for the contest, most in the division of 7- to 9-year-olds.
“We had 25 art submissions, which is wonderful,” Helf noted. “And everybody who’s here seems to be having a wonderful time.”
The works ranged in style and medium, including several drawings and paintings – some featuring mixed media elements – a photograph and a three-dimensional sculpture. Next to each piece was a tag with the artist’s name, age division, title of the piece and the inspiration behind it.
To decide the winners in each category, the young artists themselves, parents and family members and passersby who chose to drop by got paper ballots to make a selection from each age division. Teen library volunteers tallied the votes.
Each winner received a $25 gift card to Maple Shade Arts & Drafting, while first- , second- and third-place winners could have their work displayed in the library.
The youngest winner – from the 7- to 9-year-old group – was Will Zemaitis, for his painting, “Peace Begins With Me,” a circular canvas split down the middle by a rainbow peace sign, with day depicted in the gaps on one side of the symbol and night on the other.
Will Zemaitis shows off his winning painting after the art contest, called “Peace Begins With Me.”
His father, Dan Zemaitis said the family’s faith helped inspire elements of his son’s artwork.
“We’re Quakers, and so that’s why he went with the peace sign,” he explained. “He also picked the night and day and the Yin and Yang part of it. So it was great. We’re really excited.”
Winning pieces from the other divisions included a painting of a landscape called “Eyes of Illusion” and a work titled, “Color Within,” by Jimin Jun, from the 13- to 15-year-old category.
“I believe that inside of our hearts there’s endless colors that can bloom and flow out,” she said of her inspiration. “The world becomes more colorful and warm.”
Jimin Jun displays her art piece after being announced as the winner for the 13 to 15 division.
The event ended with winners given a choice to take their works home or have them displayed in the library.
