The Waterfowl Festival has announced the winners of its 2008 Kids Poster Contest. Almost 220 students from throughout Talbot County entered their artwork in the competition. The winning image, along with the second- and third-place designs, are featured on the 2008 Kids Conservation Poster.
This year’s theme was “Birds of the Americas.” Katherine Gross, in the eighth grade at Sts. Peter andPaul School, created the winning design of a Baltimore Oriole. She will receive a $500 savings bond, a trophy and $500 in art supplies for her school.
Adam George, in the fourth grade at The Country School, won the second place prize of a trophy and $250 in art supplies for his school. Zachary Lairsey, a second-grader at Chesapeake Christian School, came in third, winning a trophy and $150 in art supplies for his school.
Students from kindergarten through eighth grade were eligible, whether in public, private or home schools. The artwork was grouped into three divisions, kindergarten through second grade, third through fifth grade and sixth through eighth grade. Winners were chosen within each division, and then overall first, second and third places were selected from the division champs.
Second- and third-place finishers, respectively, in each division were Alexis McDaniel, Chesapeake Christian School, and Alex Heinsohn, Chapel District Elementary School in the K-2 division; Perry Summers, The Country School, and Ja’Wann Gibson, Easton Elementary School, Moton, in the 3-5 division; and Miranda Schnakenberg and Margaret Smith, both at Sts. Peter and Paul School, in the 6-8 division.
Sally Smith, chairman of the Kids Poster Contest for the Waterfowl Festival, expressed her pride in the children of Talbot County. “There is so much talent here. The children are wonderful,” she said.
Judges included Festival artists and volunteers, along with Jane Bollman, Board President of the Talbot County Arts Council, whose grant helped fund the contest. They had a difficult time choosing from among the many and varied designs. Critieria included the image being a bold, colorful and simple image able to translate well into a poster.
The Kids Conservation Poster will be on sale at Easton Elementary School during the Waterfowl Festival, where visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the winning artist. The winners will be recognized and their prizes awarded during the Festival Opening Ceremony at the Historic Avalon Theatre at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 13.
The 2008 Waterfowl Festival will be held in Easton November 14, 15 & 16. For more information, to volunteer or to make a donation, contact the Waterfowl Festival office at 410-822-4567 or visit its website,www.waterfowlfestival.org.