Seventh Grader Wins White House Art Contest

To Morgan Ferrans, the Easter bunny meant more than just dyeing eggs or eating candy. It was her inspiration. 

A seventh-grader at Maryvale Preparatory School in Brooklandville, Morgan drew such a detailed, active Easter bunny that First Lady Michelle Obama selected Morgan's art for the program cover of the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll.

Morgan's entire art class, including her family and art teacher Sarah Butcher, celebrated Morgan's achievement by taking a bus to Washington, D.C., on Monday to participate in the 133rd White House Easter Egg Roll, an annual spring holiday event hosted by the president and his family.

More than 30,000 people from around the country attended the event, and every attendee got a program with Morgan’s art on the cover.

“I just was really honored,” said Morgan, a little breathlessly, still excited about her achievement. “Out of all the entries, to have mine picked, it was a really cool experience. I guess I really wanted to win, and I tried my hardest. But I never expected or dreamed that I would actually get to win, and it was really exciting.”

The White House’s art contest invited elementary and middle school students in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. to submit entries adhering to a theme called “Get Up and Go!” The theme dovetails with Obama’s “Let’s Move!” initiative to battle childhood obesity.

Morgan’s Easter bunny got up and went, for sure. She drew him robustly rolling colorful Easter eggs across the White House lawn, with an equally active boy and girl playing alongside him. Morgan’s art encapsulates the First Lady’s theme of exercise, and also a child’s excitement of holidays, springtime and, well, colored pencils.

Morgan’s artwork was chosen from more than 400 entries from 135 schools.

She was happy to share her achievement with her classmates, all of whom jumped up and down and cheered for her in the lunch room when they found out she had won.

“To have my whole art class share in the day with me was really awesome,” said Morgan.

Butcher, Maryvale’s art teacher, burst at the seams with pride.

“It was really exciting,” said Butcher. “I am so thrilled and proud of her. And she worked really hard on it.”

Butcher noted that her students had only two weeks to work on their drawings for the contest, and Morgan took hers home to put in even more time perfecting the details.

“She’s eager, and energetic, and enthusiastic, and really bright,” said Butcher. “Whatever she attempts to do, she’s going to do it well.”