Teen Artist Highlights the Right to Read in Award-Winning Artwork

2025

Joselyn Chimbo, a 17-year-old from New York, has been named the grand prize winner of the New York Public Library’s (NYPL) National Teen Art Contest. Her winning artwork highlights the importance of the freedom to read, a theme that has become more pressing due to a rise in book bans across the United States.

Joselyn’s painting honors her grandmother, who immigrated to the United States, granting Joselyn the opportunity to learn and access books. She reflects on the history of illiteracy in Indigenous communities, where access to education was often withheld as a tool of oppression. Joselyn’s grandmother, she writes, was denied literacy due to economic barriers, which prevented her from gaining social and economic mobility.

This history fuels Joselyn’s advocacy for the freedom to read. “Literacy was withheld from Indigenous communities like my grandmother’s as a tool of oppression,” Joselyn states. “Those left illiterate were exploited and experienced a lack of economic and social mobility due to the massive cost of an education.”

Joselyn’s artwork, which will be featured in the upcoming issue of Teen Voices magazine and exhibited at the NYPL flagship location, depicts a young girl reading a book that opens to a shadow of orange and red dust, representing knowledge. The image also portrays matriarchs and their children, symbolizing the sacrifices made by women in her family to ensure future generations had access to education. Joselyn sees this as a reminder to support and ensure the right to learn and read for all people, of all ages.

The contest is part of the NYPL’s annual Freedom to Read campaign, which aims to address the growing issue of book bans and challenges. According to PEN America, more than 10,000 books were banned during the 2023-2024 school year, many of which feature LGBTQ characters or characters of color. Since 2021, PEN America has documented over 16,000 book bans in public schools, marking a rise in censorship not seen since the McCarthy-era Red Scare.

Joselyn’s work stands as a reminder of the critical role that access to books plays in personal and societal growth. “The freedom to read can connect back to the art I usually enjoy making,” she says, noting that her art often reflects her cultural identity.

In addition to the prestige of winning the contest, Joselyn will receive a grant to support her education. She plans to use the award to purchase supplies for her freshman year of college.

Joselyn joins 17 other winners from across the country who submitted artwork representing the power of reading. Her achievement highlights the ongoing importance of safeguarding the freedom to read, particularly in an era where books are increasingly being challenged and banned.

Joselyn's message is clear: access to books is not just a personal right but a generational one, with the power to shape the future.