Virginia student wins International Aviation Art Contest
VENN
FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A Virginia student has won the International Aviation Art Contest.
Fifteen-year-old Lalitha Kuchipudi of the Chantilly area of Fairfax County was awarded first place in the "senior" category of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s (FAI) Young Artists Contest, according to the Virginia Department of Aviation.
The contest is based in Lausanne, Switzerland and is known in the aviation community as the global authority on certifying aviation records and feats, the department said.
Kuchipudi's journey to this accolade began when she submitted her artwork to the department's student art contest, where she also won first place in the "senior" category.
From there, Kuchipudi also earned second place on the national stage for the competition sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association in Washington, DC, leading her to the international contest.
Artwork by Virginia student Lalitha Kuchipudi (Photo: Virginia Department of Aviation)
Kuchipudi's artwork is under the theme "women with wings" and depicts a young girl dressed in an astronaut's flight suit, jumping on her bed while laughing, according to the department. On the wall behind the girl are posters of astronaut pioneers, including Sally Ride, Valentina Tereshkova and Jeanette Epps.
“I wanted to focus more on women in aviation, instead of doing a single portrait of one woman," Kuchipudi said. "Their influence was really great on kids. I wanted to be an astronaut."
