A photograph taken by a Fayetteville-Manlius High School student recently earned top honors in a local contest.

During an Oct. 24 ceremony, sophomore Grace Pierson was named Bousquet Holstein, PLLC’s Ninth Annual Photography Contest’s first place winner. The contest helps promote arts and education among students in Onondaga County schools, according to the firm’s website.

This year’s contest theme was inspired by Everson Museum of Art’s recent exhibition, “Seen & Heard: An Active Commemoration of Women’s Suffrage” and encouraged participants to capture images that reflect current conversations about equal rights, civic engagement, and social change.

More than 200 photographs were entered into the event, which is open to all Onondaga County students in grades 9 to 12. Entries were judged based on image composition, imagination, and creativity of content and by a panel of artists, educators and Bousquet Holstein, PLLC attorneys.

The panel chose 21 contest finalists and the top three student-artists received cash scholarships during the recognition ceremony, which was held at the Everson Museum of Art. The firm’s Thanksgiving card, which is sent to about 4,000 clients, will feature Grace’s award-winning image.

As part of the contest’s first place package, Grace’s art teacher, Brittney Culican, was awarded $500 to be used for school photography equipment and other visual art supplies.