Art Deco Pizza Box – AutoCrat? Click to enlarge.
The Detroit Auto Show (DAS) just before Christmas announced the winners of its 2026 High School Poster Contest, a statewide competition looking at the next generation of creative talent. The winners will be formally recognized during a special on-stage ceremony at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show on Sunday, January 18, at Huntington Place.*
“Open to high school students across Michigan, the contest invited young artists to submit original poster designs inspired by the Detroit Auto Show and the future of the automotive industry. The winning artwork reflects a wide range of perspectives, creativity, and technical skill, reinforcing Detroit’s role as both the automotive capital of the world and a hub for design innovation. The Detroit Auto Show received 208 entries from 47 high schools,” DAS said.
2026 Poster Contest Winners
Grand Prize Winner
- Dylan Duguay, Loy Norrix High School (12th grade)
Sponsor Prize Winner
- Bella Dalton, Livonia Career Technical Center (12th grade)
Grade-Level Winners
- 12th Grade: Sadie Laarman, Zeeland East High School
- 11th Grade: Zoey Renaud, Livonia Career Technical Center
- 10th Grade: Ellie Rupert, Rochester High School
- 9th Grade: Aasenat Rahmati, Universal Learning Academy
Finalists
- Arabella Vachon, Utica Center for Science and Industry
- Charlotte Bergen, Rochester High School
- Hazel Baushke, Chelsea High School
- Jared She, Bloomfield Hills High School
- Jason Goossen, Grosse Pointe North High School
- Kiran Dixon, Michael Berry Career Center
- Kirsten Green, Cass Technical High School
- Kylie Pfeifer, Livonia Career Technical Center
- Mercedes Hertz, Center Line High School
- Silas Mowers, Royal Oak High School
Panel of Judges
Submissions were evaluated by a panel of automotive and design professionals: including:
- Deven Row, Senior Exterior Designer, Scout.
- Chris Stevens, Lead Exterior Designer, Ford Motor.
- Emily Klaudt, Creative Designer, General Motors.
- Ren Stone, Manager of Advanced Design, Stellantis North America.
- Jova Lynne, Artistic Director, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD).
- Ali Moosavi, Product Expert, Vizcom.
*AutoInformed on
“The Detroit Auto Show has always been about more than cars. It’s about creativity, innovation, and the people who will shape what comes next,” said Sam Klemet, Executive Director of the Detroit Auto Show. “This poster contest gives young artists a platform to share their voice, their vision, and their connection to Detroit’s design and mobility legacy. The talent we saw in these submissions is incredible.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Detroit Auto Show 2026 – Winners of HS Poster Contest
Art Deco Pizza Box – AutoCrat? Click to enlarge.
The Detroit Auto Show (DAS) just before Christmas announced the winners of its 2026 High School Poster Contest, a statewide competition looking at the next generation of creative talent. The winners will be formally recognized during a special on-stage ceremony at the 2026 Detroit Auto Show on Sunday, January 18, at Huntington Place.*
“Open to high school students across Michigan, the contest invited young artists to submit original poster designs inspired by the Detroit Auto Show and the future of the automotive industry. The winning artwork reflects a wide range of perspectives, creativity, and technical skill, reinforcing Detroit’s role as both the automotive capital of the world and a hub for design innovation. The Detroit Auto Show received 208 entries from 47 high schools,” DAS said.
2026 Poster Contest Winners
Grand Prize Winner
Sponsor Prize Winner
Grade-Level Winners
Finalists
Panel of Judges
Submissions were evaluated by a panel of automotive and design professionals: including:
*AutoInformed on
“The Detroit Auto Show has always been about more than cars. It’s about creativity, innovation, and the people who will shape what comes next,” said Sam Klemet, Executive Director of the Detroit Auto Show. “This poster contest gives young artists a platform to share their voice, their vision, and their connection to Detroit’s design and mobility legacy. The talent we saw in these submissions is incredible.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.