The Arlington Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee is proud to announce the winners of the "Sharing the Dream' Art and Essay competitions.

This year, $4,500 in cash and scholarships will be distributed among six Arlington area youths whose essays and artwork best represent the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the movement for racial justice and equality in America. This year's theme is: "Speak Out. Be Heard. Change the World.'

The winning art design will appear on T-shirts and marketing materials associated with the 24th Annual "Sharing the Dream' Arlington MLK Celebration, which begins Jan. 18, 2013. More than 400 pieces of art were submitted for the contest, which was open to all Arlington students in grades 7-12.

The winning essay will be presented during the "Sharing the Dream' Awards Banquet on Jan. 18 and Youth Extravaganza on Jan. 21. The essay competition was open to high school seniors.

A special thanks to this year's judges, who represent the founding entities of the MLK Celebration Committee: City of Arlington, Arlington ISD, UT Arlington, Tarrant County College and the Arlington Ministerial Association.

See the winning art, read the essays, and learn more about the celebration at www.ArlingtonMLK.com.