OKEECHOBEE — A 12-year-old Okeechobee artist entered a fine arts competition last week and came away with ribbons for every visual art category she entered.

Lila Corbitt achieved first place in sculpture, polychromatic drawing and watercolor painting, and took home second place in monochromatic drawing and acrylics. In the craft category, she was awarded a third-place ribbon. This was Lila’s first time entering the contest, and she was the only entrant from Okeechobee.

2026 was the Florida Christian Activities Association (FCAA) Fine Arts Competition’s 18^th year. The competition is open to private schools and homeschools. Dr. David Bedell, FCAAs president, states, “The Florida Christian Activities Association wants to promote excellence in every area of school life.”

The competition includes every aspect of the fine arts, including music competitions, science fairs, speech, photography, Bible quiz, spelling bees, photography and more.

In addition to the categories in which Lila was awarded ribbons, she also entered the Bible quiz, and the team she was on took second place. A singer and guitar player, Lila sang “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” and accompanied herself on the guitar but did not place. Undeterred, she plans to enter again next year.

Lila, a homeschool student, was the only entrant from Okeechobee this year and was the youngest to enter the visual arts categories. The competition took place at Landmark Baptist Church in Haines City on April 30 and May 1 and included grades 6-12.