Contact:
Jessica Weirauch
Michigan Municipal League
[email protected], 734-669-6311

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2026

Ann Arbor, Mich. — The Michigan Municipal League (MML) Foundation has announced the winners of its first annual MI Community Youth Art Competition. This contest invites young Michigan artists from MML member communities to submit original visual artwork that showcases what they love about their city, village, or township.

A panel of League and Foundation staff selected three winners from each of three age categories. One Community Pride Winner was determined by public vote.

The winners, along with selections from artists’ statements (if included), are as follows. To view the winning artworks, please visit the MI Community Youth Art Competition website.

Ages 5–10:

• First Place: Aniksha, 8, Troy: “Artwork describes about Troy city and its highlights.”
• Second Place: Anvi, 8, Troy: “My artwork shows my community in different seasons like fall, spring, summer, and winter. I drew people from different cultures, kids playing, and places like the library, park, and community center. These things show that my community is friendly, fun, and welcoming to everyone.”
• Third Place: Ariel, 9, Northville

Ages 11–14:

• First Place: Sonja, 11, Marquette: “I painted the ore dock, the lighthouse and the clocktower because these places are beautiful focal points in my hometown. They are backdrops for celebrations and festivals in my community and bring many people from out of town to visit.”
• Second Place: Zadah, 14, Mason: “My artwork represents my community by highlighting the key elements of Mason, Michigan: the center of our town, the Courthouse; the Mason High School Matching Band; the Ingham County Horse Show, which is located just across the road from the Mason Middle School; and the “Welcome to Mason” sign. [….] I wish I could have included more about our wonderful community, but my canvas was not on my side space-wise! I hope you enjoy Mason, Michigan put in paint!”
• Third Place: Annika, 11, Marquette: “My artwork spotlights important landmarks in Marquette, Michigan. These places are historical and have been bringing people together for many years along the beautiful shoreline in my community.”

Ages 15–18:

• First Place: Lauren, 15, Northville: “My favorite time of year is October in Northville. From the “Skeletons Alive” festival placing dressed skeletons on every storefront, to the hundreds of ladies dressed as witches for the costume contest. My friends and I love to walk around with fresh donuts from the local bakery and apple cider to warm our hands. The town is united together just as the sun comes down behind the giant glowing pumpkin.”
• Second Place: Angel, 16, Kalamazoo: “I made an illustration of Arcadia Creek, in downtown Kalamazoo. I made the illustration with watercolor and pen. Many people like to go there to enjoy festivals, concerts, and to just have fun with family and friends! The creek brings people together and strengthens the community.”
• Third Place: Madison, 18, Lake Orion: “Something that I love to do in Lake Orion is enjoy Gods creation by looking at the beautiful outdoors and going on walks everyday. The Lakes water is always glistening and accentuating the greens of the trees. I wanted to incorporate that in my painting, the beautiful natural aspects that make Lake Orion what it is, with the beautiful eastern red bush in the front and the lake in the background.”

Community Pride Winner:

• Elly, 8, Ferndale: “Ferndale is a place where everyone is loved and no one is left out. My art shows how everyone is different but we all still love Ferndale and each other.”

The three first-place winners will have their art featured on T-shirts produced by the MML Foundation. First place winners will receive $200 and a copy of the shirt featuring their art. Second place winners will receive $100. Third place winners will receive $50. The Community Pride Winner will receive $200. Profits from future shirt sales will benefit the Foundation’s programming and community grantmaking.

“Throughout this competition, we have been thrilled to see young artists proudly expressing their love for their communities and are inspired by the incredible support those communities have shown in return,” said Helen Davis Johnson, President of the MML Foundation. “When youth are given opportunities to share their creativity and perspectives, they develop a stronger sense of trust, belonging, and ownership in the places they call home.”

The MI Community Youth Art Competition was made possible through the generous support of sponsors including Double Haul Solutions, Giffels Webster, Miller Canfield, the Wade Against… Foundation, and Wightman. For more information and to view the winning artworks, please visit the MI Community Youth Art Competition website.

The Michigan Municipal League (MML) Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Michigan Municipal League (the League). The MML Foundation supports innovative work through partnerships, grants and programming that creatively and intentionally bring people together and build community wealth. Learn more at mmlfoundation.org.

Michigan Municipal League is dedicated to making Michigan’s communities better by thoughtfully innovating programs, energetically connecting ideas and people, actively serving members with resources and services, and passionately inspiring positive change for Michigan’s greatest centers of potential: its communities. The League advocates on behalf of its member communities in Lansing, Washington, D.C., and the courts; provides educational opportunities for elected and appointed municipal officials; and assists municipal leaders in administering services to their communities through League programs and services. Learn more at mml.org.