(Left to right) Sophia Lin and Kathy Cryan-Hicks for winning a recent Climate Art Contest

by Jen Oemig

CHELMSFD – Chelmsford High School freshman Sophia Lin was awarded first place in an art contest that the Chelmsford Climate Action Team (CCAT) and the Chelmsford Public Library sponsored back in May.

Lin’s submission, titled “Imagine A World,” features a polar bear, sea turtle and other living things that have been impacted by the changing climate.

“My statement is technically the words that are plastered throughout the whole poster — basically talking about a world that wasn’t affected by climate change,” she shared. “My choice of design helps to remind you why we have to stop climate change. I hope that the stunning animals and plants remind you that the world is beautiful. … We don’t appreciate nature and animals enough. We want to solve climate change because we have to protect the wonders on this Earth.”

CCAT member Kathy Cryan-Hicks visited CHS on Tuesday, Dec. 10, to let Lin know that her art project had won the competition and to present her with a gift card and blue ribbon, as well as to return the winning piece of artwork.

Amy Aker and Virginia Cramer, judges for the climate art contest, said it was wonderful to see how diverse the entries were.

“When judging the work, we took our time studying each piece and reading the statements each artist shared,” they stated. “We considered how clearly each artist visually expressed their particular chosen aspect of climate change. We also considered originality, creativity, craftsmanship, evidence of time and care taken, and presentation. Choosing the best three pieces from each category was a challenge.”

To view all of the submissions from this spring’s contest, visit https://www.chelmsfordclimate.org/artwork2024/.