NCDOT News Release • March 20, 2023
RALEIGH – Two North Carolina students claimed top honors in this year’s U.S. National Aviation Art Contest.
The National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) announced that Cary Academy’s Isabel Chang and Audrey Song won first and second place, respectively, in the senior category of the national competition last week. Both students earned the same placements in the state-level competition. In last year’s state contest, Song won first place in the intermediate age group and Chang also won first place in the senior age group.
The art contest is an annual competition hosted to inspire and engage young people, ages 6-17, in aviation. North Carolina was one of 20 states to submit artwork and over 150 submissions were entered in the national competition this year. This year’s theme was “Air Sports and the Environment.”
Judging for the national contest took place in Washington, D.C. and was conducted by NASAO and its partners, including the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, National Aeronautic Association and American Society of Aviation Artists.
The top three winners in the junior, intermediate and senior age groups will advance to the International Aviation Art Contest, which will be judged in June by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
“This contest offers kids a glance into the world of aviation,” said N.C. Department of Transportation Director of Aviation Bobby Walston. “And we are thrilled to have such talented youth from our state recognized on the national level and get the opportunity to have their work showcased on an international stage as well.”
The top three winners of each age group in the 2023 state competition will be recognized in April by Governor Roy Cooper and Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette. Since 2016, a total of 11,802 submissions from 720 schools across 93 counties have been entered in the North Carolina Aviation Art Contest.
*NCDOT*
