By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

THE winning artwork in the recently held Young Artist Showcase 2007 competition is on its way to Maui, Hawaii this afternoon before it will be sent to Florida for the Sister Cities International Conference.
The contest here on Saipan was held in connection with Maui county’s participation in one of the programs planned for the conference that will be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in July.
The conference theme is, “Do we live in an open and accessible world for all?”
A panel of judges will choose another set of winning artwork in Florida, according to Wesley Foster, a Marianas High School arts teacher.
The winners of the local competition, all students from MHS, were congratulated by Saipan Mayor Juan B. Tudela at a press conference in his office, yesterday.
The first place winner, 12th grader Ahjung Sin, 18, calls her piece, “Connecting Through Music.”
She said she thinks people in the world can connect with each other through music despite different languages and cultures.
Second placer James D. Quiblat, also a 12th grader, was inspired by less fortunate people in his drawing titled “Reach.”
Myrene Evangelista, an 11th grader, titled her work “A limited way of life,” which she said depict her vision of a world accessible to all.
Gayla Kapileo, also an 11th grader, came up with “Unexpected World” in which things can happen “out of the blue,” she said.
These MHS artists were among the 15 students from four high schools who participated in last week’s art competition.
Other schools that participated were Marianas Baptist Academy, Saipan Community School and Grace Christian Academy.
Maui’s membership in Sister Cities International allows it to invite young artists from Maui’s own sister cities — including Saipan — to participate in the international art competition, according to Maui Mayor Chairmaine Tavares in his letter to Tudela.
Sin’s father, Simon Sin, publisher of a local Korean newspaper, the Saipan Times, could only say, “I’m pleased.”