Seven Ritenour Students Recognized in Saint Louis Symphony's Picture the Music Competition

Two students from Iveland Elementary and five from Marvin Elementary will receive a regional recognition for their powerful and creative artwork in the 2026 Saint Louis Symphony's Picture the Music competition.

This year’s competition challenged students to create artwork that captured the essence of  “Codes,” movement II of Contact by Saint Louis Symphony’s Composer in Residence, Kevin Puts. 

Out of more than 500 pieces of art submitted from K-6 students in the St. Louis metro area, the following Ritenour students whose artwork placed in the top 100 will be honored on March 25 in Powell Hall at the Jack C. Taylor Music Center. 

Iveland Elementary honorees: first grader Aloni Dalton-Cooper, for her art titled, “The Wedding Dance” and second grader Alyssa Stepney, for her art titled, “Music of the Land”

Marvin Elementary honorees: fourth grader Ximena Bucio Medina for “We come in peace;” fifth-graders Alexandra Abundio-Palmer for “Crescendo at 8:00,” Autumn Garrett for "Textural Polyphony," Ja’Sarah Love for “Cyclonic Crescendo,” and Ethan Mentria for “Musical Sunset”

Their art will be on display from March 20-29 at the Taylor Music Center in Powell Hall, and then will be part of a traveling exhibit at the Saint Louis Art Museum and the James S. McDonnell Planetarium until April 26.