Spreading good cheer: Mitten coloring contest winners brighten winter with art

Brightly decorated mittens brought an extra dose of holiday cheer when the judges at The Spokesman-Review gathered (masked, of course) last week.

There were so many beautiful mittens to choose from, but choose we must. Here are the winners of this year’s mitten coloring contest:

In the ages 0-4 category, winners took advantage of a whole rainbow of colors.

Four-year-old Monroe Webley of Cheney decorated her mitten with colorful hearts and ornaments, while 3-year-old Violet Dennis-Borgan of Spokane drew spring flowers on hers. And, one judge said she’d like to wear striped mittens like the one Noli Rabel made. Noli is 4 and lives in Mead.

In the 5-to-8 category, Gianna Murray, a 6-year-old who lives in Deer Park, surprised judges by turning her mitt into a snow globe complete with little balls of faux snow floating behind the plastic.

Eight-year-old Samantha Romano of Spokane drew a charming winter scene with a snowman. And, Spokane Valley’s Knox Sharpe, 6, created a festive mitt with just a dash of glitter.

In the 9-12 age group, the judges were drawn to 12-year-old Lucy Woods’ cheerful gathering of people. Cameron Barbieri, 11, used a mix of paper, puffy paint and ink to create a very Christmas-y mitten, and Alexis Painter, 10, added adorable eyes to the hot cocoa and marshmallows adorning her mitt. All three live in Spokane

The winners will receive gift certificates to Mobius Discovery Center. Thanks to everyone who submitted a mitten. The entries will be displayed in The Spokesman-Review lobby windows, 999 W. Riverside Ave., through mid-January.