WINONA LAKE – The annual art contest, hosted by the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams, invites fourth- through 12th-grade students throughout Kosciusko County to submit their creative depictions of local waterways.
This year’s theme was “Wonders of the Water” and over 200 students participated.
The Lilly Center on Wednesday announces the winners of this year’s art contest. Each piece is evaluated based on creativity, artistic merit and theme depiction. Winning artwork will be displayed at The Alley in downtown Warsaw, and the South Whitley Community Public Library, as well as placed in an art magazine, created by the Lilly Center and printed onto calendars, cards and bookmarks.
Winning artwork and artists are:
• 4th-6th Grade:
- first place, Claire Lindquist, “Beauty of the Blue”; homeschool, 5th
- second place, Jordan Zielasko, “The Turtle”; LCA, 6th
- third place, Ruth Ellis, “Southern Leopard Frog Masterpiece”; homeschool, 4th
• 7th-8th Grade:
- first place, Estelle Jaumard, “Blue Heron”; Lakeview Middle School, 8th
– second place, Charlotte Skaggs, “Light on the Lake”; Lakeview Middle School, 7th
- third place, Yijia Zhang, “Pureness out of Mud”; LCA, 7th
• 9th-10th Grade:
- first place, Autumn Deneve, “You Otter Know”; Whitko High School, 10th
- second place, Vera Mabon, “River Fishing”; Whitko High School, 10th
- third place, Norah Ellis, “Aww a Frog”; homeschool, 9th
• 11th-12th Grade
- first place, Emma Morse, “Curiosity in Reflection”; Whitko High School, 11th
- second place, Caitlin Beer, “Reflections of Calm”; Whitko High School, 11th
- third place, Alena Hindbaugh, “Hidden Beauty”; Whitko High School, 11th
In addition to artwork being displayed and featured on calendars and bookmarks, winners receive $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place.
Estelle Jaumard, creator of “Blue Heron” and the first-place winner of the 7th/8th grade division, shared the inspiration behind her artwork: “Whenever I am at a lake, whether it be Pike or Winona, I am always on the lookout for cranes or herons. Cranes and herons are fascinating creatures, and I enjoy taking pictures of them. When I take pictures, I try different perspectives to portray the beauty of the creatures. When I was deciding what medium to use, I wanted something that would enhance the details of the Blue Heron, so I used drawing pencils.”
The art contest is just one of four educational programs offered by the Lilly Center for K-12 students. Alongside it, Lake Adventure Day, Classroom Lake Experience and destination field trips provide hands-on opportunities for students to connect with and learn about the natural environment.
A special thanks to the City of Warsaw Stormwater Utility for sponsoring this year's art contest.