Calhoun Fifth Grader's Artwork Draws National Attention, Falls Just Short of First Prize

A local fifth grader has barely missed gaining national recognition for her artwork.

Abigail Africa of Central Elementary in Calhoun was a finalist in a nationwide competition for best textbook cover. Her design was one of more than 2400 entries.

Abigail Africa the Artist

And the graphs, musical notes, mathematical symbols and rulers that border the edges caught the attention of textbook company executives.

Abigail offers a description of her work.  

“That one’s a scoreboard because it counts how many points you have. And that’s a bar graph where you see, you graph how many…you count money and in music you have to count the beats.”

Her teacher, Janean Branch, says Abigail couldn’t wait to get started.

“I got an email about it from the manufacturer of the textbook series. And I made an announcement to the class about the contest. And a couple of students said, ‘oh, that’d be cool,’ but about a week later Abigail came back to me and she said, ‘when are we going to do that?’ So I emailed her mother all the information, and she did it on her own.”

Abigail says it took her a day to create the design.

 She says going ahead with the project was an easy decision to make because math is her favorite subject.  

“Math helps you in practically everything you do in life.”

Abigail’s continued love of math may be some consolation for the disappointment of not taking first prize.

Still, Janean Branch believes the best artwork was not chosen.

“I think it would be a fabulous cover. Looking at that compared to some of the other covers that were in the contest that would be the one that I would choose, even if I didn’t know her.

Art work by fifth graders from Florida and New York State was ultimately chosen to be included in the math text.