EAST STROUDSBURG, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Martin Luther King Jr. Day was observed all across the commonwealth on January 20.
In Monroe County, one of the highlights is an annual art contest for high school students.
The contest was held at the East Stroudsburg University's Fine Arts Building.
This year's theme was "dreams are what we hold onto when hope seems bleak but hasn't faded."
The artwork shows the theme or any aspect of Dr. King's life and his philosophy.
This year's winner was Omari Abrams, a senior in East Stroudsburg North High School.
Historic church opening its doors again in Monroe County"I mostly based it off the quote. It regarded 'Hope' being something that we have to hold onto, and I use that in my work with lots of imagery of hands to comprise an image of Martin Luther King Jr.," Adams explained.
"It was hard picking the art pieces this year, it really was. It was so hard to the fact that we had to come back a second day and take a second look. So the students should be very proud of themselves because anyone of them could've been a first place winner in my eyes," said Selena Hines, coordinator of the Juliana and Wayne Bolt art contest.
The first, second, and third-place winners all received ESU spirit wear from Barnes & Noble University bookstore.
The first-place winner will also have their artwork displayed on the 2026 MLK breakfast program.