Coloring contest: From Disney’s Stitch to state representation and snow globes, young artists’ mittens brought cheer

Spokesman-Review staffers are always delighted when it comes time to judge the holiday coloring contests. And this round, several editors and reporters jumped to their feet to gather in the conference room, smiles alight on faces as their sights befell colorful entries laid out across the table and chairs.

As always, it’s a tough decision; know several entries came close to being named in the top nine, sparking some heated debate among the judges, with one entry initially chosen having been disqualified due to a lack of contact information, a decision we were collectively saddened to make.

Among entrants we saw ginger bread houses, recognizable characters, like Disney’s Stitch and Sega’s Sonic, and surprisingly not much glitter. Snow globes seemed to be a popular theme, perhaps because we’re missing a classic white Christmas, replaced with a gray rain, in Spokane.

Here are the winners from three age groups spanning ages 0 through 12.

Ages 0-4

For our youngest entries, the three finalists all hail from Spokane. Four-year-old Louisa Maccini offered distinct blocks of color, while Gianna Freeland, also 4, took a similar route but with more muted shades of green and blue. Three-year-old Fleta Phelps’ light and fast pencil strokes contrasted Louisa’s and Gianna’s pieces, leaving a softer finish to her artwork.

Ages 5-8

A bright mitten, diverse with colors from Vedder, 7, of Otis Orchards, and whose last name was not given, had captured the judges’ attention. Eight-year-old Addilyn McConnell, of Spokane, crafted a scene akin to a snow globe with a gingerbread house. The added detail of sparkles to the snow was a notable touch. Deer Park’s Skye Schmidt, 8, included two detailed snow globes with scenes that ignited deep discussions about the artist’s intent – an important aspect to any piece of work is its ability to provoke the viewers’ thoughts.

Ages 9-12

Reagan Webley, an 11-year-old from Cheney, must be a fan of Disney’s “Lilo and Stitch” and this judge is guessing excited for the live-action version set to hit movie theaters in spring 2025, because Reagan, with fine lines and solid color-blocking, portrayed the recognizable blue alien donning a red Santa hat against a backdrop of contrasting red and green stripes that create, thanks to the colors’ positions on opposite sides of the color wheel, a vibration on the eye. This effect helped Reagan’s art stand out.

Eleven-year-old Hannah Kramer’s piece’s shoutout to the Evergreen State grabbed the judges’ attentions, with a background calling to mind a pattern akin to wrapping paper or knitted stockings and a Christmas tree in the foreground. Hannah live is Spokane.

Cecelia Ireland, 12, of Spokane, drew from Dr. Suess’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” with a figure of the Grinch holding a snow globe, the focal point of the piece, depicting a classic Christmas scene of Santa at the Christmas tree delivering presents to good little girls and boys.

Entries will be on display at the Mobius Discovery Center downtown, 331 N. Post St. Winners will receive a gift certificate for Mobius.

We look forward to seeing what area youths come up with next for the heart coloring contest in February.