For most of her life, Sarah Al-Shawabkeh has created art for fun. At 5, she was sketching the characters of “The Amazing World of Gumball” cartoon.
By 8th grade, she had graduated to painting watercolors, some of which her parents have proudly displayed on the mantle of their home in Norwood Park.
Now, the 16-year-old William Howard Taft High School student will have her art seen by tens of thousands at the Democratic National Convention, which takes place at the United Center next month.
Al-Shawabkeh is the first-place winner of the convention host committee’s “Welcome to Chicago” high school art competition. Her digital design, “Welcoming Greetings,” will not only be showcased on posters at the convention but displayed on a commemorative button inside delegate gift bags.
“I didn’t expect to win,” said Al-Shawabkeh, an 11th-grader, who also received a $200 Visa gift card and credentials to attend one night of the convention. “I know that all [Chicago Public Schools] students were able to do it. I’ve been to a lot of CPS art-related events, and their art was, like, crazy good. I was just very shocked.”
As part of the competition, students from public and private high schools in the Chicago metropolitan area submitted artwork inspired by the prompt “Welcome to Chicago.” Al-Shawabkeh was selected from approximately 20 entrants by a panel of judges including local artists, representatives from CPS and members of the host committee’s youth advisory council. Three other students, placing second, third and fourth, will also have their work displayed at the convention.
Al-Shawabkeh created a red, white and blue postcard design featuring the word “Chicago” in bubble letters, the Chicago skyline and the four red stars of the Chicago flag. She said she was inspired by the postcards her friends have sent her from their travels to Wisconsin, Florida and other places. She also said she chose to feature the skyline because downtown Chicago is so recognizable.
“One of my favorite things is how artistic downtown is,” she added. “Whenever I go there, I see multiple museums like the Art Institute of Chicago. It is very exciting to see.”
In addition to cake from Portillo’s, Al-Shawabkeh said the public transportation system is what she enjoys the most about the city.
“I love how everything is connected,” she said. “I can hop onto the bus, and I’m immediately at an art store.”
The art competition judges praised Al-Shawabkeh’s unique representation of the city, said Keiana Barrett, Chicago 2024 Host Committee senior adviser.
“By far, the judges all felt that she had a very clean and crisp piece,” she added.
Barrett also said the judges appreciated the message on Al-Shawabkeh’s design: “Greetings from Chicago. You’ll love it!”
“[It] was the type of inspiring declaration that we certainly want to leave at the forefront of our visitors’ psyches when they think about the DNC 2024 in Chicago,” she said.
Chicago high school studen Sarah Al-Shawabkeh will have her design featured on official Democratic National Convention memorabilia.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Al-Shawabkeh said she is still learning about politics and grasping the magnitude of the DNC.
“Honestly, I did not know the DNC was this big,” she said. “I did not know much about it. I’ve been seeing a lot of TikToks about the [Republican National Convention], and I’m like, ‘This is big. What?!'”
Al-Shawabkeh said she is still figuring out what to study in college but plans to keep up with her artwork.
“I’m so happy,” said Al-Shawabkeh’s mother, Ahlam Alhnaity. “I’m so proud because I believe she’s a talent.”
Convention attendees will also be able to purchase the posters featuring Al-Shawabkeh’s design.
Al-Shawabkeh said she hopes out-of-towners understand how much Chicago has to offer: “There’s more than just the Bean and deep dish.”