An Oak Grove first grader has been selected among 100 students to have her artwork featured as part of the 31^st annual Picture the Music competition presented by the St. Louis Symphony Volunteer Association.

Lauren Chronister was chosen by a panel of expert judges as a finalist out of more than 6,000 participants, grades K-6, from Missouri and Illinois to be celebrated during a virtual awards ceremony on Saturday, March 27, according to a letter from the organization.

This year’s assignment was to listen to classical composer Florence Price’s “Juba Dance,” and sketch what comes to mind. Art teacher Kim Wynne, who also serves at O’Neal, submitted several top selections from each elementary school.

She played the symphony and discussed some examples, using a program that displays moving shapes to rhythm, but otherwise the students did not have a pattern to follow or any other prompt, she said. Lauren is “advanced for her age” and has a bright future as an artist, according to Wynne.

When asked what her inspiration was, Lauren simply replied that she was “just drawing it.” With regard to her decision to use crayons, she explained: “It matters what I have.”

Wynne, who has been teaching in Poplar Bluff for over a decade, said she looks up different art competitions to incorporate in class from time to time, for example, the conservation and transportations department’s “No MOre Trash!” campaign. While she has participated in the Picture the Music contest before, this is the first time she had a student named among the top 100.

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Cutline: The Picasso-esque abstract drawing created by Lauren Chronister was selected as a finalist in the Picture the Music 2021 competition.