It’s official. In a statement released from the Michigan Executive Office of the Governor, the winner of the 2023 State of the State Art Contest has been chosen. 

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II announced the winner Friday, January 20, saying the competition was fierce, and he and Gov. Whitmer,

...got so many great submissions from Michigan’s creative young people...their ideas and passion for our state shown through in every piece of artwork.

The theme of the contest was “What Makes Michigan Strong”, and students K-12 were encouraged to use crayons, markers, or paint to create a design to be used for the 2023 State of the State program cover. The submitted drawings featured images that ranged from the “Mighty Mac”, the Model “T”, and of course, the “Mitten” itself.  

Out of all of the designs that flooded the Governor’s office, five were selected for the finals, and one of the five rose to the top. Sydney Kuipers, an 11th Grader from Forest Hills Northern High School in Grand Rapids was announced as the winner. 

For her winning effort, she received a Cherry Republic Go Fish Gift Box, containing Ruby Red Sour Cherry Patches, Iced Imperial Pretzels, Cherry Republic Playing Cards, and a Cherry Republic Nalgene water bottle. The winning entry and runner’s up can be viewed below:

2023 Michigan State of the State Art Contest Winners

The theme of the Michigan State of the State Art Contest was “What Makes Michigan Strong”, and students K-12 were encouraged to use crayons, markers, or paint to create a design to be used for the 2023 State of the State program cover. Here are the winner, and four runner-up designs.