This year, three Rocky Mount Academy students were ambitious enough to enter the OSA Holiday Card Art Competition–a statewide contest for young artists to showcase their talents by designing Christmas cards. Students across North Carolina spanning all grade levels were offered the chance to participate in the contest that accepted submissions from November 5 to November 24. The submitted designs were evaluated on December 10–keep reading to hear about the winners!–and the top 10 entries are now displayed by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) in Raleigh.
Of course, the competition has guidelines that these student-artists had to follow. Most notably, the entries had to be original designs that displayed creativity and a festive spirit as well as a connection to the state of North Carolina. There are different mediums of art students could choose from–paintings, drawings, photography, collages, prints, mixed media, and even computer-generated art–whatever fit each artist’s skills the best. Final scores were determined by five key components: theme interpretation (the inclusion of holiday spirit and North Carolina imagery), artistic design (space, balance, and flow), creativity and originality, attention to detail, and impact and storytelling.
Among this year’s contestants were RMA sophomore Amal Showkier, sophomore Dennis Ding, and junior Annika Plonski, who were notified of the competition via email by Head of Upper School, Mr. Tucker. All three of these students are very gifted when it comes to art and have sharpened their skills by working with Upper School art t
eacher Mrs. Hunter in Art I. Annika is currently taking her artistic skills a step further with her enrollment in Art III, in which she is focusing on preparing for AP Art next year as a senior.
The first Christmas card design is Amal Showkier’s painting depicting common Christmas figures, such as the snowman, gingerbread man, and a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and lights. Making her card’s connection to the state clear, she added a sign that says, “Welcome to North Carolina” and the NC flag. As a special feature, a red cardinal (North Carolina’s state bird) pulls a strand of colorful Christmas lights through the air. Amal’s Christmas card utilizes standard and metallic watercolors to create a scene evoking whimsical holiday joy. Amal says she wanted to convey North Carolina’s sense of community and unity, as well as the state’s natural beauty. Amal had a great time working on this project, saying the painting took around a week and that she enjoyed the process.
The other sophomore who submitted her artwork, Dennis Ding, used a digital platform known as Procreate on her iPad to assemble characteristics (specific to North Carolina) with an AI program, including a backdrop featuring a winter scene of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a black bear and a white-tailed deer, both wearing Christmas hats and scarves. Together, they are enjoying the holiday by savoring a Southern favorite: pecan pie. She believes that “this work captures the warm and joyful atmosphere of North Carolina during the holidays, conveying a sense of harmony and relaxed festivity shared by all.” Further emphasizing the image’s connection to the state, there is a cozy wooden cabin adorned with festive wreaths, in front of which the state flag is displayed. Beside the cabin stands a wagon filled with a basketball–paying homage to the state’s renowned passion for basketball–and a gift wrapped in iconic Carolina blue such as the snowman, gingerbread man, and a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and lights. Making her card’s connection to the state clear, she added a sign that says, “Welcome to North Carolina” and the NC flag. As a special feature, a red cardinal (North Carolina’s state bird) pulls a strand of colorful Christmas lights through the air. Amal’s Christmas card utilizes standard and metallic watercolors to create a scene evoking whimsical holiday joy. Amal says she wanted to convey North Carolina’s sense of community and unity, as well as the state’s natural beauty. Amal had a great time working on this project, saying the painting took around a week and that she enjoyed the process.
Last but certainly not least is junior Annika Plonski, who created her artwork by hand through a multi-step process that included her initial sketch, watercolors for vibrancy, and black ink to make the images stand out. In her detailed work, she depicts the iconic Cape Hatteras lighthouse decorated with Christmas lights and a wreath. Surrounding the lighthouse are many Christmas trees–all decorated, of course! As a final touch, she decided to add Santa’s sleigh in the sky and a note saying “Happy Holidays” for an added dose of holiday spirit. Her only goal? To “make it Christmassy!” She did just that in this piece inspired by her personal ties to Cape Hatteras in the Outer Banks. Every summer, she goes there to spend time with her family, and now that she has created this Christmas card design, the lighthouse will have even more meaning for Annika.
If you are interested in this opportunity to show off your artistic skills, you can look forward to next year’s competition, which will be announced in late October 2026. In the meantime, be sure to congratulate the winners and participants for their outstanding effort.
