“HEARTS Let Freedom Spring” Highlights & the Creatures of the Springs Art Contest Winners!
Award winners (left to right), Grey Lewis, Kathy Murray, Adaiah Paul, Naomi Strong, Mackenzie Pell, with (back row) HEARTS’ Abigail Jennings and Cain Center’s Simone El Bey.
HEARTS Collaborative’s first annual Creatures of the Spring Community Art Exhibit and Contest on May 24, 2025, was a huge success. The art show was held in conjunction with the May ‘25 HEARTS Happening entitled, “Let Freedom Spring,” marking the 250th anniversary of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. It all took place at Pioneer Springs Community School, near the location of Freedom Spring, the legendary birthplace of that document.
A collaboration between HEARTS and Cain Center for the Arts, the theme-based show was open to local artists depicting native animal species that inhabit natural spring ecosystems. The exhibition was judged by Simone El Bey, Director of Visual Arts and Education for the Cain Center. El Bey selected the award-winning artworks for both the Adult and Youth Categories, and presented cash prizes of $75-$200 to the award winners at the event. In addition to first, second and third place awards, El Bey also included two honorable awards: the Visionary Award recognizing creativity and imagination, forward thinking, and an imaginative approach to art, and the Golden Brush Award recognizing technique, skill, and an understanding of composition, design, and color.
HEARTS and the Cain Center extend a big thanks to all artists who submitted work and congratulations to the 2025 HEARTS and Cain Center Creatures of the Spring Art Contest Winners:
Adult Winners
1st - Rupam Varma
2nd - Adaih Paul
3rd - Georgia Wills
Golden Brush Award - Kathy Murray
Visionary Award - Grey Lewis
Youth Winners
1st - Naomi Strong
2nd - Killian Russo
3rd - Makenzie Pell
Golden Brush Award - Macia Newell
Visionary Award - Ira Painter
Keynote speakers David Fleming and Scott Syfert have each researched and written extensively about the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and the events leading up to it and were the perfect pair to explore the role Freedom Spring and the Alexandriana site played in the birth of the Mec Dec.
Susan Gammon, Chapter Regent for the Alexandriana DAR and sponsor for the event, opened the event with information about the DAR, membership, and the role the organization played in the creation of the nearby Alexandriana Park.
Simone El Bey, Director of Visual Arts and Education for the Cain Center for the Arts judged the all-ages “Creatures of the Spring" art contest and shared her insights on the winning selections.
Renowned folk duo Tom Eure and Amelia Osborne treated the crowd to a mix of traditional and original music, including a tutorial and performance of their handcrafted crankie, a historic visual storytelling device.
Botanist, ecologist, entrepreneur, and HEARTS advisor Aaron Kampe engaged attendees with fascinating facts about the native animals that call natural spring ecosystems home, as well as the life cycles of the native salamanders that inhabit them.
Thank you to everyone who joined us, and thank you Pioneer Springs Community School for sharing your beautiful campus!
Located in historic Croft of North Mecklenburg is a tuition-free, K-12 Public Charter School championing engaging academics through place-based learning, nature integration, and outdoor education.
Join HEARTS Circle to help preserve and share more of our local history, nature, and art! For more information, visit www.HEARTSCircle.org or call (704) 920-9931.
