March 7, 2005
K-12 Marine Masterpieces exhibit opens March
12 at Seymour Center
By Jennifer McNulty
From a toothy shark to a preening pelican, the artistic talent
of dozens of students in grades K-12 will be on display at the
Seymour Marine Discovery Center from March 12 through the spring.
Keegan Skinner, a fourth grader
at Twin Lakes Christian School in Aptos, received an honorable
mention in the fourth- through sixth-grade category for
his painting entitled, "The Fierce Shark."
|
Janna Bowman, 10th grade, received
an honorable mention in the 7th- through 12th-grade category
for "Harp Seal: Phoca groenlandica." She
submitted her work through Sandhills Studio/Sierra Nature
Prints of Scotts Valley. |
The public is invited to attend an awards ceremony and reception
for the artists that will be held Saturday, March 12, at 2 p.m.
at the Seymour Marine
Discovery Center, 100 Shaffer Road, in Santa Cruz.
Nearly 300 students entered the Marine Masterpieces Student
Art Contest & Exhibition, which attracted entries from as
far away as Wisconsin. The names of winning artists are posted
on the Seymour Center
web site.
The contest was open to individuals and groups that produced
works that communicate something about marine life/science,
ocean conservation, or marine scientists. Individual winners
were selected in each of four categories: K-1st grade, 2-3rd
grade, 4-6th grade, and 7-12th grade.
Winners were also selected from a separate category for group
artwork.
We had a really good response, said contest coordinator
Kevin Keedy, who manages youth programs at the Seymour Center.
The artwork is fantastic.
The contest provides an opportunity for marine enthusiasts
to express themselves artistically, and it encourages others
to study the oceans in order to produce a work of art, said
Keedy. Its a neat way to get kids involved, and
the exhibit gives the public an opportunity to see and enjoy
the art, he said.
A total of 288 artists produced 236 pieces that were judged
by a panel of six judges. First-place winners will receive one-year
student memberships to the Seymour Center, while their teachers
will receive a voucher for $100 toward a class field trip to
the center; other prizes include T-shirts and books. The contest
was sponsored by Don and Peggy Schmitz.
The Seymour Marine Discovery Center is dedicated to educating
people about the role scientific research plays in the understanding
and conservation of the worlds oceans. Part of the Joseph
M. Long Marine Laboratory at UCSC, the center offers exhibit
halls, aquaria, touch tanks, and public tours overlooking the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
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