Eighth grader Sophia Delaney from St. Bartholomew Catholic School in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of 19 national winners and two grand prize winners who received recognition at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Missionary Childhood Association’s National Christmas Artwork Contest on Dec. 1. 

Students from around the country submitted work on standard printer paper featuring Christmas scenes such as the Nativity, Three Wise Men, and newborn Jesus in a manger. 

The Missionary Childhood Association, which is part of the Pontifical Mission Societies, is a global organization focused on Catholic youth, according to their website “from Baptism to teen years.” The association aims to build “awareness of the universality of the Church and the call to witness our faith (that) is enhanced through global education, prayer and support from children to children across the continents.”

The event began with remarks from Alixandra Holden, the Missionary Childhood Association’s national director, and Msgr. Vito Buonanno, associate rector of the National Shrine and the director of pilgrimages there, and Msgr. Kieran E. Harrington, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States.

Special guest speaker Suzanne Ferrell Nicholson, an artist and children’s advocate, had a prepared slideshow on art during different time periods, including ancient Greece and primitive art from early civilizations. She showed religious works of art that she said “express faith through art.” 

“To be called an artist means that you have chosen to express your beliefs and hopes through your work with your hands, and that is a noble cause,” Ferrell Nicholson said. 

Sophia Delaney, the winning student artist from St. Bartholomew School in Bethesda, said art is essential to her self-expression. Her piece “Mother and Child,” features a lot of warm yellows and oranges that contrast with Mary’s blue veil that envelops both her and the baby Jesus, and she explained that her color choice was deliberate. 

“When I'm drawing holy people, I do yellow for the background because of the holy light. But then the yellow was kind of blank, and so I wanted to add clouds. I like drawing sunsets, so I made it orange,” Delaney said. 

She explained she outlined the piece before using watercolors, although Delaney also has experience working with acrylic paint and experiments with mixed media, including hot glue and wood.

“I like to draw people, but also a lot of landscapes and Christmas trees,” Delaney said.

Delaney often submits artwork that is featured in the Catholic Standard’s Junior Saints section, a monthly installment of student artwork from around The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. She’s currently considering her future as a designer or a lawyer. 

She credits her art teacher, Ivica Bradley, for guiding her as Delaney continues to hone her craft. 

“She gets me into doing the Junior Saints every month…and she's the one who told me about this art competition, (she) got me to do it,” Delaney said.

Delaney is now working on her portfolio for a high school scholarship, which includes another depiction of Mary and Jesus done with color pencils. She shared her thoughts on why creating art is important to her. 

“I get to express my emotion sometimes when you don't necessarily have to say it with words, which is a lot easier because sometimes talking and making sentences is hard, so then you can just draw it and it's a lot easier and it's kind of therapeutic sometimes, because it's just fun,” Delaney said. 

After students were presented with their plaques, a group photo was taken followed by a celebration of Mass in the Crypt Church.

The artwork will be on exhibit during the Advent and Christmas seasons in the basilica’s Memorial Hall located in the lower level.