SAN ANTONIO – An 11-year-old student in the Northside Independent School District was selected as the winner of an annual citywide art contest presented by the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.
Yesenia Morin, a student at Bernal Middle School, won the contest with her artwork titled “It Takes All of Us.” The artwork will now be used as visual representation of the 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Virtual March on Jan. 18.
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“I entered the contest because I really love to create art. I think that it’s important to remember the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King because he encouraged all of us to work together for the good of everyone,” Morin said.
Morin created the artwork using computer graphics and digital illustrations. The piece shows people of all races and ethnicities holding hands in unity with the San Antonio skyline and the 2021 theme of #WeRiseUpforJustice behind them. The artwork was selected by a panel based on its concept, artistic imagery, visual presentation and originality, a press release said.
“Yesenia is extremely talented and always thinks outside the box when she creates her artwork, John Davis, Bernal Middle School Art Teacher said. “She has a tremendous ability to take an assignment and make it her own using her imagination and skill. We’re very proud of Yesenia and of the great artwork she created to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.”
Since 1987, the City of San Antonio has celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with an annual series of events leading up to one of the largest marches in the country.
The MLK Commission announced in September that a virtual-only event would replace the annual march in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns.
The march typically attracts about 300,000 people every year.
“Many times, it is our youth that leads the way to stand up for justice and what is right,” said District 2 City Councilwoman Jada Andrews-Sullivan. “Yesenia’s artwork serves as a reminder that we all must work together to make positive change in our community and beyond. This is a message that is important now, more than ever.”