Celebrating peace is what the International Lions Club is promoting through the theme “A Celebration of Peace” for this year’s annual peace poster contest, where students around the world create an art piece that represents the theme.

Five local students have been working all week on their Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest entries at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, and in the local contest, the top three were announced Friday afternoon.

Third place and $25 went to Matthew Turnage, second place and $50 was awarded to Emmanuel Agyepong and the first place winner was Haley Noble who received $75.

The 11- to 13-year-olds met for an hour and half every morning this week to take advantage of help from art instructor Karen Biedenharn and art supplies from the River Kids art program.

The Vicksburg Lions Club helped stock up River Kids with art supplies for the contest, and any extra supplies are donated to the River Kids program. This year the club purchased a ream of quality poster paper.

“Through the partnership the kids have free access to all these materials so they can go any way with it — liquid water colors, acrylics, tempers, oils,” Biedenharn said. “The Lions Club supports us by buying a certain material, whatever I’m short on.”

She helps the students with the elements of art by reminding them how to use complimentary colors, balance their composition, have contrast and show movement.

“I help them with those breathers— lets step back from it, lets see how its looking, and now lets go back through our elements of art to see if there is anything we can do to balance it, make the idea pop, make the icon pop and give them ideas of different art techniques they could do to accomplish that, that they might not be familiar with,” Biedenharn said.

No words can be used on the poster because once the competition advances to the international contest it is not suppose to be apparent where the poster came from.

“They really have to convey the whole theme in imagery and icons that are universal,” Biedenharn said. “That’s hard.”

Two volunteer judges from the Vicksburg Art Association evaluated the posters Friday on how well they express the theme, artistic merit and originality.

Agyepong, 11, signed up because he thought it would be fun and he confirmed it had been.

He worked on more than one poster to enter in the contest to double his chance to win.

One of his posters had fireworks, peace signs, doves and cake, and he chose those symbols for one reason, “it seemed nice,” Agyepong said.

Last year, Turnage, 13, had fun participating in the contest and placed second. This year he came back to try to place again.

On his poster, he used balloons and a cake with candles to symbolize the celebration.

“The flame on the candle on top of the cake is actually shaped like a dove to symbolize peace,” Turnage said. “I sketched it out and then the rest of it is paint.”

Jasmine Tennis, 13, was participating in the contest for the second time, and she decided to come back for another shot this year.

“It was just a whole bunch of fun, and I just liked the idea of just celebrating peace and love,” she said.

Her poster had a combination of acrylic and temper paint and featured Earth, peace signs, the galaxy, music notes, balloons and human figures.

First year participant Samantha Parker, 12, decided to join the contest because she wanted to get back into participating in art camps and because it celebrates good.

“My poster is basically just the Earth with a rainbow background and the banner with signs of peace, and in the countries, there are two hands with multiple skin colors reaching over showing that they’re agreeing on everything, they’re celebrating together,” Parker said of her temper and acrylic paint poster.

All five posters will be on display at the Vicksburg Mall before Noble’s poster will continue to the district contest and possibly beyond to the state and international contest.

“It’s really a community project,” Biedenharn said. “This is what makes Vicksburg great.”