For years, Lions Clubs International has inspired youths around the world to creatively imagine their ideas of peace through art. In 2023, this heartwarming mission was brought to Tri-Village.
The International Peace Poster Contest, accumulating thousands of submissions yearly, asks kids to combine their imagination and artistic ability to craft a poster depicting their interpretation of peace.
“The idea is to get the kids thinking about a better world and what they can do, and to be creative along the line,” says Jane Jarrow, head of the Tri-Village Lions Club.
Each year, the theme focuses on a different aspect of efforts toward a more peaceful world. This year, the contest asked students to visualize the idea of leading with compassion.
In the poster contest’s first year in Tri-Village, local children showed up to show off their creativity. While the Lions received many submissions, one piece was particularly impactful.
Kennedy Kichline crafted an inspiring portrait of compassion, earning her the winning title both for the Tri-Village Lions contest and on a district level. What was the motivation for Kennedy’s award-winning art?
“To show how we should all be kind and compassionate to one another, no matter what your race is, your ethnicity, your gender or where you come from,” Kennedy says.
With that goal in mind, Kennedy got to work on her watercolor painting. Central to the poster is a magnificent red lotus, symbolizing compassion. Framing the flower is an intricate heart made of flags from all over the world to symbolize world peace.
Kennedy completed the image with intertwined hands of varying skin tones. Each aspect of Kennedy’s piece gives viewers insight into how they can lead with compassion.
Kennedy says one of her favorite parts of the poster contest was collaborating with others. She credits her art teacher for supporting her with any materials she needed along the way. One of her fondest memories was spending her lunch break with a friend as they composed their peace posters.
“It was nice to see how her idea of the theme was so different from mine, but they both represented the theme in a wonderful way,” Kennedy says.
To celebrate their efforts, the Lions invited contest finalists, parents and supportive teachers to a dinner and award ceremony. It also served as an introduction to the club for what current Lions hope will become future Lions.
“The general atmosphere of the dinner was wonderful,” Kennedy says. “Of course, the food was great.”
But it wouldn’t be a Lions Club event without the spirit of giving and service. Once awards were given and stomachs were filled, Lions invited their guests to join them in wrapping about 100 books in birthday paper. Then, they delivered the books to the Commons at Third to celebrate “a very merry unbirthday,” in the spirit of Alice in Wonderland.
Kennedy says she enjoyed her time with the Lions, noting their kindness and care with the contest and their mission of service.
The local establishment of the Lions Peace Poster Contest was a success for the community, providing a way to connect school districts with the Lions Club while giving students an opportunity to creatively examine their ideas of compassion.
The Lions hope to keep this tradition alive in the future, and Kennedy has given prospective participants a beautiful example to follow – both in her creative eye and character. Kennedy offers advice to artists of all ages:
“No. 1, you do not always have to make it perfect,” Kennedy says. “Your ideas and what you want to put on paper stands out more than your artistic skill.”
Megan Brokamp is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.