"Hidden Thoughts of LD 2012" Art Competition Winners and Runners Up
We were so excited to see all of the amazing entries for this year’s “Hidden Thoughts of LD” Annual Art Competition. Thank you to all of the artists who entered the competition this year; it was a pleasure to review your work, and our Facebook community enthusiastically took part in the voting process. All of the entries are worthy of recognition, but we are pleased to announce the winners of this year’s contest.
We awarded a $500 prize to the winner of each age group category (Child, Teen and Adult) and a $200 prize for each runner up. Congratulations to our winners and runners up!
Child: (4-12)
Winner: Clayton Cain
Runner Up: Benjamin Bashant
Click on images to view a description and full photo of each winning submission.
Winner: Clayton Cain
1st Place
My name is Clayton. I am 11 years old and in the fifth grade. I go to school at Morgan East Elementary. I have a problem learning to read. The teachers do not know why or how to help me. I cannot read my school work or my test so i do not get good grades. The other kids in my class read good and teas me because I cannot read or write or spell like they can. I get called names like stupid, retard and idiot. I get very sad and cry a lot at home. The teachers do not do anything about them at school. The best thing I can do is fish. it is my favorite thing to do because the fish do not make fun of me and it is quiet there. I do not think about the kids from school when I fish. I wish I could fish instead of go to school. If I could fish I would not be so sad. This is me happy in the picture when I am fishing.
Benjamin Bashant
2nd Place
My name is Ben, I am 11 years old, and I have Tourette Syndrome. This self-portrait describes me when I am sad and frustrated. However, the bright colors in the background represent the fact that happiness and hope are just around the corner. I have learned that my feelings, good and bad, are temporary.
Teen: (13-17)
Winner: Allison Lee
Runner Up: Lindsey Simpson
Click on images to view a description and full photo of each winning submission.
Winner: Allison Lee
1st Place
In first grade, I had trouble learning the alphabet, naming letters and spelling words. By the end of second grade, I understood what Dyslexia was and went with it. However, as I continued moving forward, I realized that despite what my teacher said, it did not have to slow me down. The Chrysanthemum in the upper left-hand corner represents all the possibilities, chances, and events of the future I can encounter in the form of paths coming out from the path I am walking on now. The other orange, yellow and raspberry paths coming from off the page represent other people that are trying to push me onto the wrong or right paths. The bunches of lines under the Chrysanthemum are the paths I did not take and are floating downwards like feathers. The girl in the picture represents the person who is created as they move forward, overcoming obstacles and moving forward in their life. I found that despite my disadvantage, I don't have to let it slow me down. I have moved forward on the path I choose and have created who I am along the way.
Lindsey Simpson
2nd Place
I have Auditory Processing Disorder. This is a picture of an ear with a question mark inside it. The colors on the right side represent sound in reality and the colors on the left side represent the sound through my ears. My ears and brain don’t connect right, so the things I hear sound broken and often don’t make sense. I can put bits and pieces together, but it’s hard to put it all together to make sense of everything that I hear.
Adult: (18+)
Winner: Freddie Nicholls
Runner Up: Thomas J. Baker
Click on images to view a description and full photo of each winning submission.
Winner: Freddie Nicholls
1st Place
Having a learning disability sometimes gets me angry as I cannot express things over very well to others or say what I mean. I love doing my arts and crafts and listening to loads of music which gives me pleasure lots, and showing others what I can do makes me happy.
Thomas J. Baker
2nd Place
This piece of art representing life through the eyes of a dyslexic is especially poignant. When I submitted it in my painting class, my instructor marked it down because she thought I had goofed off and then had to rush its creation. Unfortunately, what she did not know was that each letter had been tortuous to create because of my disability, yet despite this effort they still looked sloppy and harried. Although I had told her I had a learning disability she did not take it into consideration because the school disallowed my testing. It was a week older than their requirements allowed and my parents couldn’t afford the money to have me retested right away.
