A national art competition caught the attention of a Bingham High School senior. That curiosity paid off when Erin Grimshaw decided to work on her picture and get it ready to submit. She submitted her piece of art to a contest sponsored by Celebrating Art and Blick Art Materials. 

“This is a nationwide competition for students from Kindergarten to 12th grade,” Celebrating Art representative Kelsey Payne said. “We accept artwork of every media, from ink, colored pencil, photograph to sculpture.”

Erin submitted her picture of a beautiful red-haired girl with a wistful expression titled “Young Siren.” She surprisingly used colored pencils for her masterpiece. Her expertise placed her in the top 10 in Celebrating Arts Summer 2024 category.

The top 10 award winners receive a free copy of Celebrating Art’s Anthology book. In the book Erin will be given special recognition and have her award-winning art included. The winners will also be given a $25 gift card for Blick Art Materials.

“This is a very, very big award,” Payne said. “This is our greatest award because we receive thousands of entries every season.” Those wishing to see Erin’s beautiful work are invited to visit www.celebratingart.com/top-ten-winners.

Grimshaw’s recognition for her excellent artwork doesn’t stop there. She was selected as one of the monthly Arts Council’s “Artists on Display” for The Gale Center in South Jordan. Guests can admire her remarkable skill in person by touring the display.

"Art has shaped me into a creative and more confident person. It has given me some amazing opportunities and brought many wonderful people into my life and I am very grateful for that," Grimshaw said.

The Gale Center is free and open to the public Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grimshaw’s art will be exhibited at the Gale Center until the end of January and then will be on display at the South Jordan City Hall.