Students shine in 2025 RMLD Art Contest celebrating energy innovation
Innovation has always been at the heart of the energy industry, from the invention of the light bulb to the rise of electric vehicles, smart grids, and renewable technologies. This year, local students captured the spirit of progress and possibility through art in the 2025 RMLD Student Art Contest.
Students were challenged to visually represent the theme of energy innovation using their chosen art medium. Submissions were judged based on creativity and clarity of message, with selected winning pieces potentially featured in future RMLD promotional materials. All participating students earned ten hours of community service for their contributions.
Congratulations to the following student artists who brought this year’s theme to life with originality and insight:
2025 Gold winners
Theadora Panousos
Junior, North Reading High School
Artwork title: Immense Opportunities (Digital)
This piece is meant to be symbolic of the immense opportunities electricity has empowered humanity with. From electric cars to solar power, it seems that our opportunities for growth when it comes to using renewable energy sources are endless. Something as seemingly basic as a light bulb can light our way for years to come of clean and innovative energy sources.
Julia Smith
Junior, Reading Memorial High School
Artwork title: A Whirlwind of Energy (acrylic on canvas)
Inspired by Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ my artwork shows a windmill farm harnessing the natural environment. The future of energy will utilize renewable energy sources of energy like wind power. Inventions like the windmill are essential to reducing fossil fuels, conserving water, and providing electricity without greenhouse gases.
Joseph Vieira
Senior, Reading Memorial High School
Artwork title: Energized Evolution (digital)
This piece captures the spirit of energy innovation through a dynamic blend of past, present, and future technologies. At the center, the glowing light bulb symbolizes the origin of modern electricity, surrounded by solar panels, wind turbines, and an electric vehicle—signs of today’s clean energy revolution. Swirling colors create a sense of motion and connection, representing the ever-evolving nature of energy solutions and the flow of power from renewable sources. This piece celebrates how continuous innovation drives us toward a more sustainable and electrified future.
2025 Silver winners
Evelyn (Stevie) Schomp
Junior, North Reading High School
Artwork title: Upwards and Onwards (unknown)
This piece is a symbolic representation of the future of the power grid. The power grid is essential to keeping everything running worldwide, and the future of this is focused on stabilizing it by decentralizing the large portions. The piece I created shows the power grid, tower above us in the clouds, this physically represents its growth for the future. enabling us to easily depend upon it.
Cybele Miller
Senior, North Reading High School
Artwork title: Avon Street (painting)
In summary, this piece represents the warmth and comforts of a home which are provided by the innovation of home heating and lighting. The illuminated orange windows, contrasting with the cool colors of the house and darkness surrounding them, represent this intrinsic warmth and light. This particular house exists on my childhood street. Its interesting blue color and purple trim always served as a landmark to me as a child, and reminded me of my home, and my neighborhood. Especially during the cold winters we all experience here in Massachusetts, harboring gratitude for the warmth and light that electricity provides is important.
Honorable mention - exceptional creativity
Sofia Tentindo
Junior, Wilmington High School
Artwork title: Joann the Robot (3D papier-mâché)
From the first telephone, to television, to computers, the energy industry has been booming with innovation in the past decade, creating new types of technology to better society. Th more cent years, scientists and engineers have been assembling machines to function very similar to the human brain: robots, Robots in society are beneficial for fast and efficient mass production, surgical needs, exploration into the unknown, and helping those who are disabled. The possibilities for robots are endless, and the early models shine light on further energy innovation in the future.
JoAnn the Robot is made from cardboard and paper mâché. JoAnn is a female robot to represent the huge role that women play in the entire STEM field, which will hopefully continue to expand as time goes on.
Each winner received a gift card for qualified school or art supplies. RMLD extends a heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and sincere thanks to every student who submitted artwork. Your vision for the future reminds us that energy is always in motion - and so is imagination.
