By Ryan Michaels
The Birmingham Times
Ramsay High School’s Renee Greene captured first-place in The World Games 2022 art design competition which drew 175 submissions from around the state.
In December, the World Games put out an open call for Alabama high school students to submit designs for its 2022 art design competition.
The winners were announced Friday at the Forest Park-South Avondale-based nonprofit Vinegar Contemporary art gallery.
Each student designed artwork using one of three themes: The World is Coming, Sustainability, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Greene won first place in the DEI category while other area winners included Maecy Shepard, Ramsay International Baccalaureate (IB) High School, third in Sustainability; Maisie Davis, Alabama School of Fine Art, third in The World is Coming and Leigh Anne Precise, Jefferson County IB High School, third in DEI.
Greene said developing an idea for her design was difficult at first, so she had to think outside the box. “My inspiration was everyone coming together…kind of like a vision for the future in a way,” she said.
In addition to the World Games logo, Greene’s poster includes a human form with skin like a globe and hands of different skin tones on its face and holdings its shoulders. Over top, the words “Together we are one.”
Shepard’s winning design portrayed a person spinning the world on their finger, the top half of the globe being a city, over a backdrop of greenery.
“When I found out I won, I was shocked. I was utterly surprised, and I’m very grateful that I won, and I love everyone that won as well . . . Everyone’s work is so amazing,” she said.
Kathy Boswell, executive vice president for community and volunteer engagement with TWG 2022, said the project was meant to help young people explore their passion and gifts. Art speaks in a unique way, she said.
“Art is another language that brings us together as a community, but at the same time, it speaks and says something, so what we wanted to do was to be able to allow them in a creative way to express themselves and do it in a way to where they can also share it with the world,” Boswell said.
In addition to being displayed in the Vinegar the works the designs will be sold as posters and limited edition t-shirts, and all proceeds will be donated to the Birmingham Promise, an organization that offers Birmingham City School students college scholarships as well as a chance to gain paid work experience through internships and apprenticeships.
Other contest winners were Amilia Babis, Huntsville High School; Cody Johnson, Forest Trail Academy; Avery Walding, Briarwood Christian School; Kaelah Broughton, Calera High School; Madhumita Ravikumar, Vestavia Hills High School.
The Education Sponsor was Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama and other sponsors were Viva Health; Alabama Power; Brasfield and Gorrie and Coca Cola United.
