The Vicksburg Lions Club Peace Poster Contest winner and runner-up made an appearance at the Lions’ weekly meeting Wednesday, and the students’ artwork was on display for the club to admire.

The annual contest asks students around the world age 11 to 13 to draw what they think peace looks like. This year’s theme is “Share Peace.”

“You’re trying to create a theme using symbols that everybody would understand no matter what language they spoke,” coordinator Barbara Applebaum said.

Two members of the Vicksburg Art Association judged the posters on originality, artistic merit and expression of the theme.

First place winner Kaylee Jackson received a $75 prize, second place Matthew Turnage won a $50 prize, while third place Kathryn Goss won a $25 dollar prize.

When Turnage was told this year’s theme, he immediately thought of Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner.

“I thought of the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote making peace instead of the Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner,” Turnage said.

He used a Sharpie, pastel and acrylic paint.

“I enjoyed making my poster,” Turnage said. “It was a good experience. It was really fun.”

Turnage was named second place for the second year in a row. He plans to enter the contest again next year, his final year of eligibility.

“The two other paintings that won were two of my favorite ones that I saw,” Turnage said.

Jackson’s poster is of a white dove in a starry sky holding a basket in its talons. The basket has people sitting in it holding a peace sign and olive branches between them. The dove is flying toward the sun. Between the sun and the dove is Earth in the shape of a peace sign with different religious symbols.

“It represents world peace so the message can get across,” Jackson said. “I drew it easy for the younger generation to understand it.”

She used colored pencils, acrylic paint and pastels and was surprised when she found out she had won. Being able to get the message across was rewarding for Jackson, and she looks forward to going to the next stage of competition.

Jackson’s poster will be taken to the district contest in Jackson. The winner of district will go to the state competition, and the state winner will go to the international contest in early 2016. There are cash prizes at each level of competition. The international winner will receive $5,000 and a trip to the award ceremony.

Last year, Vicksburg’s winner Austin Harris also won district but lost in the state contest to a girl from Starkville.

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann was supposed to speak at Wednesday’s meeting but had to cancel his appearance. Mike Carlisle, general manager of the Vicksburg Mall & Plaza, stepped up at the last minute to address the club.

The top three posters have been on display at the Vicksburg Mall since the contest concluded July 12. Carlisle was impressed with the students’ artistic talent.

“I appreciate you guys letting me display them at the mall. That was very important to me and I consider it a privilege and an honor to display this kind of talent in our mall here,” he said.

He commended them on the time they put into their artwork and said it was brave of the students to make a peace poster on an international scale.

“You put in a lot of bravery to put out a peace poster in this day and time,” Carlisle said.