Gifted student awarded for her charismatic art work

Photo courtesy of Juan Diego Catholic School

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Katie Mullin is shown drawing her first-place portrait of the Virgin Mary.

DRAPER - A student from the Juan Diego Catholic High School was awarded not just once for her gifted artwork, she twice has been recognized in less than one month.

Katie Mullin, a junior, received the first place in the Friends of the Crèche Nativity Art competition in Salt Lake City last month. Also, one of her designs was chosen in the Draper Public work logo competition. The logo will be used throughout the Draper City public works department.

Katie entered the Crèche Art competition after her art teacher, James McGee, encouraged his students to participate in the event. "My art teacher suggested that I enter. He thought it would be a good contest. Not just because I attend a Catholic school, but because it was something fun to do, so I did it," said Katie.

It took her eight to 10 hours to draw the award-winning artwork, which is based in the image of the Virgin Mary.

Her inspiration came when she read the Nativity story. "It is the way I picture Mary, even if it was not historically accurate, because I know she has darker skin; the image look a little more Americanized," Katie said.

She entered this contest expecting to gain experience and because she wants to major in arts in college.

"I was really shocked when I won," she said, adding that she was excited that the prize was $350, which has been put into her collage account.

The City of Draper public works logo, which will be used for the Waste Management program, will be a combination of her design and one submitted by classmate Dalton Dahmen. The city sent $100 in gift certificates to the students to share in appreciation for their designs.

The motivation to participate in this contest came out of the Juan Diego art teachers, who asked the two students to submit entries for the contest. "We basically designed logos that revolved around the original logo and modernized it, so they liked it," Katie said.

Her family has been a pillar in her life. They have encouraged her talent since she was very young, putting her in art classes when she was 5, because she loved to draw.

"It constantly amazes us the things that she comes up with," said Jan Mullin, Katie's mother. "It is a God given talent. She just has come a long way. The way she expresses through her artwork is just so deep. I'm always amazed she is just her own artist."

Katie said that the best advice she could say to her friends is "to stick with everything what you love, and you'll get better at it and succeed."

Her future plans are to attend the University of Utah when she graduates from high school.