The West Virginia Art Education Association (WVAEA) is proud to announce Lilly Vincent, an 8th grade student from Shepherdstown Middle School, as the winner of the 2026 WVAEA Youth Art Month Flag Contest. Congratulations also to her teacher Katherine Mackinnon, in Jefferson County.
The WVAEA Youth Art Month Flag Contest welcomes students from all over the state to submit original designs that honor the value of visual arts education each year. The winning design will represent West Virginia as a state and will be on display at the National Art Education Convention in Chicago, March 4-7, 2026.
Youth Art Month celebrates every March and is a country-wide event organized by the Council for Art Education to underscore the importance for all children in school art education and support for school quality programs. Lilly’s design really shone out in these entries from across West Virginia for its sense of creativity, craftsmanship, and its strong visual statement about art bringing color across the state of WV. Her art is evidence of the experimentation, imaginative thinking and original voice that Youth Art Month is all about. “As we celebrate Youth Art Month across West Virginia, Lilly’s artwork reminds us that creativity is not just an enrichment—it is essential,” said Holly Bess Kincaid, WVAEA Youth Art Month Chair. “Our students are thinkers, designers, and problem-solvers. This contest showcases the powerful role art education plays in shaping confident, capable young people.” To Lilly Vincent, her family, and her teacher Katherine Mackinnon the West Virginia Art Education Association congratulates you on your efforts to support and advocate for the arts.
WVAEA also honors every student artist and educator who entered this year's competition which brings higher standards to the visual arts schools across the state. To learn more about what Youth Art Month looks like in West Virginia, visit WVAEA’s website or check out WVAEA on Facebook or Twitter.
About WVAEA The West Virginia Art Education Association stands for the West Virginia Art Education Association and is a professional group to support professional growth through visual arts education throughout West Virginia. WVAEA seeks to contribute to quality arts education in all education settings across the Commonwealth through: advocacy, training and outreach, showcasing educational programs in schools, student fairs, and community collaborations, focusing on a program aimed at ensuring that all children have access to an enriching art education experience.
West Virginia Art Education Association
Contact: Holly Bess Kincaid WVAEA Youth Art Month Chair Art Educator, Park Middle School hollybess@gmail.com