Student’s art featured on tribes’ Christmas card
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ARLEE — Errin Bigcrane never thought the President would see her artwork. In fact, when the fourth-grader entered a contest to design the cover of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ 2010 Christmas card, she told her mom, “I’m never gonna win.”
Errin wasn’t satisfied with the first draft of her Christmas drawing, so she did a redesign, ending up with a teepee decorated with colorful Christmas lights and a crackling fire inside. Nearby, a Christmas tree glows warmly in the snow — a blend of tribal tradition and holiday cheer that caught the eye of contest judges.
Errin’s card was chosen out of 40 entries from students in kindergarten through fourth grade to be on the front of a Christmas card the tribes send out to a long list of recipients including President Barack Obama.
“That’s the best part, I think,” mom Katy Brown said. “She’s excited about that.”
Errin won a $25 gift card to Walmart — she bought minutes for her cell phone, she said — and the tribes held a lunch reception for her and her family. She also got 25 cards to send to friends and family.
Errin, who recently moved to Arlee from Ronan, said she gets her love of drawing from her grandmother.
“I used to go to my grandma’s house and draw and color,” she remembered. “We colored every day.”
After her success in the contest, Errin said she’s definitely going to stick with art.
“It’s awesome,” her mother said of the award. “We’re very proud of her.”
