GFB News Magazine

Barrow & Dawson County students win GFB art contests

by Caroline Leonhard
GFB Educational Programs Coordinator

Posted on September 28, 2026 3:27 PM

Congratulations to Cristina Alzuarge, of Dawson County, for winning the 2026 Georgia Farm Bureau (GFB) High School Art Contest! Alzuarge won $250 as the state winner and $100 as the GFB District 1 winner. She was a freshman at Dawson County Junior High School when she won.

Hailey Thomas, of Barrow County, won state honors in the GFB Middle School Bookmark Contest. She received $150 for winning the state contest and $100 as the GFB District 4 winner. She was an eighth-grade student in the Barrow County Arts & Innovational Magnet Program when she won.

Other district winners in the art contest were: 2nd Dist. - Alyssa Childers, Elbert Co.; 3rd Dist. - Hanae Miyazawa, Cobb Co.; 4th Dist. - Connie Gao, Oconee Co.; 5th Dist. - Edith English, Pike Co.; 6th Dist. - Bailey Barron, Washington Co.; 7th Dist. - Jai’Mya Marshall, Burke Co.; 8th Dist. - Jack Hopkins, Lee Co.; 9th Dist. - Taylor Sapp, Decatur Co.; & 10th Dist. - Aurora Anderson, Glynn Co.

Additional district winners in the bookmark contest were: 1st Dist. - Xintong Li, Forsyth Co.; 2nd Dist. - Gisele Su, Jackson Co.; 3rd Dist. - Michael McClain, Douglas Co.; 5th Dist. - Penelope Starr, Troup Co.; 6th Dist. - Makayla Hurst, Washington Co.; 7th Dist. - Gaon Hwang, Effingham Co.; 8th Dist. - Lauren McDuffie, Wilcox Co.; 9th Dist. - Jaylan Roberts, Seminole Co.; & 10th Dist. - Abigail Welch, Camden Co. 

Visit https://gfb.ag/26artwinners  to see the district winners’ artwork for the high school art contest. Visit https://gfb.ag/26bookmarkwinners  to see the district winners’ creations in the middle School Bookmark Contest. Each district winner in both contests received a $100 prize.

GFB received entries for its high school art contest from 60 county Farm Bureaus and entries from 78 county Farm Bureaus for its middle school bookmark contest. Entries in both contests were judged on how well the artwork represents agriculture in the student’s county or Georgia and for artistic merit.

Contact your county Farm Bureau office after mid-November for information about the 2027 contests. 

GFB Educational Programs Manager Caroline Leonhard may be reached at cwleonhard@gfb.org. Visit www.gfb.ag/AITC  for resources to teach children about agriculture.