Young Artists’ Original “Dino Friends” Will Come to Life as Handcrafted 3D Light Sculptures at Eisenhower Park This Holiday Season
EAST MEADOW, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LuminoCity Festival (LuminoCity), in partnership with the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM) and with support from WE ART Education, today announced the 12 winners of Lumi’s Utopia 2026.
Selected from 362 entries received through on-site workshops at Long Island Children’s Museum and online submissions, the winning drawings will be transformed into handcrafted 3D light sculptures and displayed at LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival at Eisenhower Park this holiday season.
This year’s theme, Dino Friends, invited children to create an original dinosaur character full of personality. The program received more than three times as many submissions as in 2025, with 12 winning designs selected to make the journey from drawing to light.
Meet the 2026 Lumi’s Utopia Winners
Isabella Tiscione, age 11 – “Sprinkles”
Christian Arthur, age 8 – “Noah”
Albert Zhao, age 8 – “Fire Breathing T-Rex”
Leia Chea, age 4 – “Liamstirakosauri”
Declan Buckley, age 10 – “Dan the Dino”
Carson Testa, age 7 – “Roger the Magic Dinosaur”
Angela Chen, age 9 – “Cookie Dino”
Bella Chlebek, age 13 – “Dancing Dino”
Irene Chiang, age 10 – “Skelnosaur”
Jessie Sui, age 10 – “The Dotted Dinosaur”
Yuna Fu, age 8 – “Strawberry Dinosaur”
Yining Chen, age 9 – “Cool, Dinosaur Dad!”
From Imagination to Illumination
LuminoCity’s lantern artisans are now transforming each winning artwork into a handcrafted 3D light sculpture, carefully preserving the personality, colors, and imaginative details of each child’s original creation.
In one of the program’s most anticipated traditions, these sculptures will make their public debut when LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival opens at Eisenhower Park on November 11, 2026, and will remain on display through January 3, 2027, allowing thousands of visiting families to experience the brilliant imagination of these young creators brought to life in vibrant color.
“There’s something incredibly joyful about seeing a child’s imagination come to life and knowing that their creativity is being celebrated by the wider community. Our partnership with LuminoCity gives young artists a chance to dream big, express themselves, and see that their ideas matter. We’re thrilled to create opportunities like this that bring children and families together through art, creativity, and play, and inspire the next generation of artists and creators,” said Erika Floreska, President of Long Island Children’s Museum.
“Seeing children’s ideas take shape beyond the classroom is a joy,” said Principal Zhou, Founder of WE ART Education. “We hope this experience gives them the confidence to keep creating and sharing their own stories.”
Six Years with Lumi’s Utopia: Children’s Art Lights Up the Community
Since its launch, Lumi’s Utopia has offered children a platform to express their creativity and has celebrated their work with the wider public through the time-honored tradition of Chinese lantern craftsmanship. Years of dedicated local engagement have made the program a cherished part of the community.
“Over the past six years, Lumi’s Utopia has grown into something much bigger than a drawing competition,” said Xiaoyi Chen, Founder and CEO of LuminoCity. “It reflects our long-term commitment to the communities we serve and to creating a platform where young artists can share their ideas in a meaningful way. Each year, we have the privilege of taking something that began in a child’s imagination and transforming it into an experience that thousands of families can see and enjoy together.”
Learn more about Lumi’s Utopia and this year’s winning artists. To see their light sculptures in person, get tickets to LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival 2026.
LuminoCity is a dynamic light-art brand taking the creative journey from concept through design, manufacturing, and presentation. Our diverse, mission-driven team is inspired by the storied tradition of Chinese lantern making, drawing on its rich cultural heritage to create contemporary art that transforms imaginative ideas into stunning works of light and color. Our annual festivals include LuminoCity’s Holiday Lights and Dino Safari, with exciting new themes to come.
Contact: press@luminocityus.com
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/luminocity-festival-and-long-island-childrens-museum-announce-12-winners-of-the-sixth-lumis-utopia-childrens-drawing-competition-302910423.html
SOURCE LuminoCity Festival
