11th Edmonton Children’s Art Contest Honours 34 Winners
Approximately 500 students participated; Harry Ainlay High School’s Elisha Gerrie received the top award
Creative Dreamers Foundation held the awards ceremony for the 2026 Edmonton Children’s Art Contest on October 18 at the Main Stage in West Edmonton Mall.
Now in its 11th year, the contest celebrates and supports artistic talent and creativity among Edmonton’s children and youth. Approximately 500 students participated, with 32 receiving awards. Elisha Gerrie, a Grade 11 student at Harry Ainlay High School, received the contest’s top award.
This year’s theme, “Me — Show Who You Are Through Art,” invited participants to express their individuality and identity through their artwork. Entries were required to incorporate at least six different objects and were judged on their connection to the theme, creative composition, originality, compliance with contest requirements, artistic quality, and completeness.
The ceremony welcomed Edmonton City Councillor Thu Parmar, representing Ward sipiwiyiniwak, and Anna Alfonso from West Edmonton Mall’s marketing leadership. Alfonso personally judged and presented the special West Edmonton Mall Grand Awards. Carly Burgess, a Grade 9 student at Laurier Heights, received the award in the Children’s Art Contest category, while Seafood Aisle was selected in the Student Creative Showcase category.
Seafood Aisle, a team comprising Grade 12 students Shihan Li, Maggie Hou, and Ellisa Liang from Old Scona Academic High School, also received the Student Creative Showcase’s Creative Vision Award.
The contest took place on June 21 as part of the 2026 Edmonton Creative Art Fair at West Edmonton Mall’s Ice Palace. The fair also featured 280 student artworks in Hanul Art School’s annual exhibition, alongside the Student Creative Showcase, a coding fair, and the Edmonton Artisan Market.
Creative Dreamers Foundation thanked the community for its continued support and participation, noting that the artistic talent and imagination demonstrated by Edmonton’s young people offer an encouraging outlook for the future of the local arts community.