Ritenour Elementary Students Earn Top Honors in 2026 Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Picture the Music Art Competition

Seven Ritenour elementary students received top honors in the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra’s (SLSO) 2026 Picture the Music art competition, standing out among hundreds of young artists from across the region.

The awards were announced March 25 at Powell Hall, where more than 400 entries were submitted from over 75 schools in Missouri and Illinois. Only 100 students were selected for final recognition.

As part of the competition, students listened to Contact, “Codes” (Movement II) by SLSO Composer-in-Residence Kevin Puts. They then created original artwork inspired by the music, interpreting its emotion and energy through painting and drawing.

Two Iveland Elementary students earned top distinctions. Alyssa Stepney received a Blue Ribbon Award, placing in the top 25 overall. Aloni Dalton-Cooper earned the prestigious Maestro Award for grades K-2, one of only three Maestro honors given across all grade levels. The Maestro Award recognizes artwork that best captures the essence of the Picture the Music program.

Students from Marvin Elementary also earned multiple honors.  Alexandra Abundio-Palmer received one of the competition’s highest honors, the Symphony Award for grades 3-5. Ximena Bucio Medina and Ja’Sarah Love earned Blue Ribbon Awards, ranking in the top 25 for their grade group. Ethan Mentria and Autumn Garrett received Special Recognition Awards for grades 3-5, placing in the top 100. 

All seven Ritenour students are among the top 100 artists whose work will be displayed at the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Student Gallery through April 12. The exhibit will then move to the James S. McDonnell Planetarium at the St. Louis Science Center from April 14-26.