On Saturday, Sept 20, the American Legion Post 372 hosted its 3rd Annual Youth Art Contest, awarding Allison Kang (‘26) first place for her mural, “The Korean War: Remember and Hope.” The Post 372 Youth Art Contest is a public competition open to all high school students in Cherry Hill, focusing on America’s involvement in various international wars. With the 2025 theme centered around the 1950 Korean War, Kang received a $1,000 scholarship, and her mural is now showcased prominently on the Post’s façade.
Kang first discovered the competition last year through her intermediate 3D art teacher at East, Ms. Morgan. Although Kang has participated in art competitions since elementary school, this one stuck out to her.
“As a proud Korean American, this [competition] really resonated with me, considering how a lot of extracurriculars I do are learning about Korean culture…having this opportunity to further my Korean heritage made me proud to represent Korea and give back to the community,” Kang said.
Kang began working on the mural in June and finished it in early September, taking around 3 months to complete. She worked on it 3-4 times a week for at least 3 hours a day outside, enduring the heatwave.
From the beginning, Kang knew she wanted to implement a lot of symbolism and carefully considered different aspects to fit her vision. She found clipart and rearranged everything on Canva before transferring it to the actual mural, her first large-scale piece of artwork.
“In the middle, we have the main focus of the one soldier that [is] a universal symbol of all [of] the service and sacrifice that went into the people who fought in this war…the shadowy figures in the background symbolize remembrance and honor. To the sides, the dandelion symbolizes resilience in times of hardship, and then on the other hand, the daisy symbolizes purity and hope for the future once the war is over…the two doves symbolize peace,” said Kang.
Although this process was filled with many challenges and setbacks, Kang stayed focused on her goal of remembering and honoring Korean War veterans. As the Korean War is often overlooked, Kang’s use of artistry to preserve history not only won the hearts of her judges, but also those of our local Korean community.