Paulsen earns 2nd in Patriotic Art Contest

Earlier this year, Plains High School student and artist Malachi Paulsen entered the local Patriotic Art Contest sponsored by the VFW Auxiliary.

Paulsen won the local post contest, and his pencil drawing art was sent to the state competition — where it once again impressed judges.

Now Paulsen has become the first Sanders County resident to compete in the annual art competition at the national level, and he earned a second-place finish.

“This is really fantastic for the community and for Malachi,” said Carol Harris from VFW Auxiliary Post 3596 in Plains.

With his second-place finish, Paulsen was awarded $5,000 for his efforts.

His portrait went up against winners from the other 49 states of the U.S. and will be featured as one of the top five finishes in the VFW Auxiliary magazine.

Paulsen’s striking portrait of local Plains woman Polly Gill embodies the life of Gill with intricate details taken to the paper in a graphite medium.

Gill said there were truly no words to express how honored, and was grateful that Paulsen chose her as his subject.

“He is an amazing young man, both humble and gifted. I couldn’t be happier for his achievement to have placed second in the national section of this competition,” expressed Gill.

“Thrilled” was another word this local veteran used to describe her feelings of being ap art of Paulsen’s artistic journey in the competition.

This year’s top winners for the completion were all portraits of men and women who served and show true patriotic love for their country.

Paulsen was also only one of two 11th-grade students who placed among seniors in the competition.

Paulsen also showcases his work throughout the county at a number of events during the year.

“I have not met another young person that embodies and shows the amount of patriotism as what Malachi showed me,” Gill said. “That, in itself, is truly wonderful.”