Alabama kids celebrate their hometowns in statewide art contest highlighting value of homeownership
Children between the ages of 5 and 12 were invited to show what makes their hometown special, and this year’s winners put a spotlight on Huntsville, Birmingham and Southside. (contributed)
In honor of National Homeownership Month, the Alabama Housing Finance Authority (AHFA) holds an art contest each June for Alabama’s youth to express their love for the cities where they are growing up.
Children between the ages of 5 and 12 were invited to show what makes their hometown special, and this year’s winners put a spotlight on Huntsville, Birmingham and Southside.
Alice Wu, 10, of Huntsville placed first for her detailed entry highlighting the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.
“My art shows an aspiring astronaut in a car looking out the window to see the Space and Rocket Center here in Huntsville, Alabama,” Alice said. “I chose the Space and Rocket Center because it’s a very special place, and it’s one of the reasons why many people visit Huntsville.”
Coming in second was Nehara Bakshi, 7, of Birmingham with her drawing honoring popular landmarks in the Magic City.
Nehara’s drawing points to Vulcan Park, the historic Alabama Theater and the McWane Center, among the attractions that make Birmingham unique.
“My hometown, Birmingham, is special because it’s the Magic City, and it has lots of places that are really awesome and fun,” she said. “It is also very pretty. It has lots of beautiful trees, lakes and lots of birds.”
Lillian Roper, 9, of Southside placed third with an abstract entry depicting a popular landmark in her hometown, the Coosa River bridge, at sunset.
“My town is Southside and is the loveliest village on the Coosa,” Lillian said. “It has a bridge that is very old that crosses over the river. There is a playground beside the bridge and a pizza place. My town has movie nights at Southside Landing where you can buy food and watch a movie. It really is a great place.”
National Homeownership Month celebrates the value that owning a home brings to families, communities and neighborhoods across America, according to a website dedicated to the annual designation.
The statewide art contest was created three years ago to emphasize how homeownership contributes to the American dream and engenders pride in local communities and hometowns. Winners receive an award certificate, deluxe art sets and subscriptions to KiwiCrate, a service that delivers age-appropriate craft kits to their homes through the year.
AHFA Executive Director Robert Strickland praised the creativity of all 10 of this year’s contest submissions.
“Each June we encourage Alabama’s young citizens to show us their artistic abilities during National Homeownership Month,” Strickland said. “Seeing our state’s towns and attractions through a child’s eyes this year was a reminder of the vibrant, active communities we call home.”
Visit AHFA Kids to learn more about its programs and about financial literacy.
