Originally published in 1997
Thousands of school children from across the United States submitted artwork for the 1997 International Aviation Art Contest. Children in three age groups, 6-9, 10-13, and 14-17, were invited to submit artwork depicting their own aviation/space-themed postage stamp for the imaginary country, Aeromania. The Texas Department of Transportation’s Aviation Division received over 2,400 entries. First, second and third place winners in each age group were selected for Texas.
First place state winners were:
Category I – Ages 6-9
Jonathan Johnson
Hanna Springs Intermediate
Lampasas, TX
Category II – Ages 10-13
Alan Nguyen
West Memorial Elementary
Katy, TX
Category II – Ages 14-17
Catherine Choi Clear
Brook High School
Friendswood, TX
The first place winners from all the states were forwarded to the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) Office in Silver Springs, Maryland for national competition.
Two of our first place Texas students also won national awards for their aviation artwork!
Seventeen-year-old Catherine Choi won Second Place in the national competition for her age category. Ten-year old Alan Nguyen won Third Place in his category. Both of these students and their families were invited to the National Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C., where they received a certificate, ribbon, framed photograph of their entry and a professional work of art from the American Society of Aviation Artists.
Texas Has International Winner!
The artwork of these national winners was forwarded to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris, France where competition for international awards took place June 4-6 in Fion, Switzerland.
Our second-place national winner in Category 111, Catherine Choi, also won first place in the international aviation artwork competition! This is the first time Texas has had an international winner! She will receive the Federation Aeronautique Internationale’s (FAI) highest art contest honor, the Gold Medal.
State Judges were: Mel Brown, Texas Aviation Artists; Michelle Hannah, Aviation Division, TxDOT & Susan Hodgson, Public Information Office, TxDOT.