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Suffolk Sister Cities International’s 35th Annual Suffolk Sister Cities Young Authors and Artists Showcase awards reception was held on Feb. 29, 2024, at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. The YAAS Awards presentation featured speakers including Tom Yannuzzi, Suffolk Center Executive Director, Dr. Joleen Neighbors, Coordinator of Fine and Performing Arts, Suffolk Public Schools, Mardane McLemore Suffolk Sister Cities, and the Honorable Mayor Mike Duman, who welcomed the talented students, their teachers, and their families.

Students from Suffolk Public Schools and Nansemond-Suffolk Academy created 126 Art entries, 51 Authors entries, and 13 Music entries inspired by the 2024 theme: “CLIMATE SCAPE: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow’s Climate.” Visual artists submitted entries in 5 categories: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Mixed Media, and Digital Art. Authors competed in Essay and Poetry categories, and new this year, the Music category, where students submit their original compositions.

Congratulations to all the 2024 YAAS Winners:

Poetry 1st Place: Michaela Bouknight- “Our Home”- Nansemond River High School

Poetry Best in Show: Collin Legrand, “ The Smog We Breathe”- Nansemond Suffolk Academy

Digital Art 1st Place: Brady Horton, ‘Underwater City’ — Nansemond Suffolk Academy

Painting 1st Place: Leila Goode, ‘City of Leaves’ — Kings Fork High School

Mixed Media 1st Place: Julia Adams, ‘The Struggle to Stay Afloat’ — Nansemond Suffolk Academy

Photography 1st Place: Abby Moody, ‘World on Fire’ — Nansemond Suffolk Academy

Drawing 1st Place: Cayla Middleton, ’Greener Side’ — Nansemond Suffolk Academy

Art ‘Best in Show’’: Arianna Maldonado, Drawing ‘Untitled’ — Kings Fork High School

Art ‘Suffolk Sister Cities Choice’ Award: Liliana Boyd — ‘Shared Earth’ — Lakeland High School

Music 1st Place: Bryce white, ‘Take a Musical Walk’ — Lakeland High School

Music ‘Best in Show’: Kayleigh Shenton, ‘The Dismal’ — Lakeland High School

The exhibition “CLIMATE SCAPE: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow’s Climate” is on view at the Suffolk Center’s TowneBank and Norfolk Foundation Art Galleries until Saturday, March 23, 2024, from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. For more information about Suffolk Sister Cities International and its programs, please contact Commissioner Maryanne Persons at 757-539-7188 or visit www.suffolksistercitiesinternational.org. The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts is located at 110 W. Finney Ave, in Historic downtown Suffolk, VA 23434.

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