Winners of Boys and Girls Clubs of SWVA Black History Month art competition announced

Pictured here are the winners of U.S. Cellular's Black History Month Art Contest: From left to right, First Place Winner Victoria Holman, Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Club Laurie Gibbons, Second Place Winner Nicole Carrier,... (Copyright by WSLS - All rights reserved)

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - A 5th grader, a 9th grader and an 8th grader are the latest winners of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia's Black History Month art competition.

Vice-Mayor David Trinkle joined U.S. Cellular and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia on Wednesday to announce the winners of the contest, which is now in its 9th year. The competition is designed to honor influential African-Americans and inspire students' creativity and knowledge of the heroes.

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Members of six area clubs in Roanoke and Christiansburg were invited to select an influential African-American and develop his or her likeness into an original 8.5 x 11 portrait using any art medium. This year the club received hundreds of entries from which the top 10 finalists were chosen. The top 10 finalists' entries were on display at area U.S. Cellular stores in Roanoke, Salem and Christiansburg where the public voted for their favorites in February.

This year's winners are:

  • First Place –Victoria Holman in 5th Grade from Fallon Park Elementary School for her portrait of Muhammad Ali.
  • Second Place –Nicole Carrier in 9th Grade from William Fleming High School for her portrait of Malcolm X.
  • Third Place –Devon Wood in 8th Grade from Jackson Middle School for his drawing of Condoleezza Rice.

Congratulations to all three winners!