Pigs, Ferris wheels, red barns, roller coasters, daffodils, and fair games are among the many colorful images that make up winning student artwork in this year’s Washington State Spring Fair poster project.

The winning posters, as well as those selected for honorable mention, were on display during the Spring Fair Thursday, April 10 through Sunday, April 13. The posters were featured on the first floor of the Pavilion at the Washington State Fair Events Center in downtown Puyallup.

Judges reviewed more than 1,000 pieces of artwork depicting the Spring Fair before naming the winners in the seventh annual poster project. The student work is the culmination of classroom lessons integrating art and social studies.

First place winners this year are Nicole Platt, a second grader in Eva Green’s class at Woodland Elementary School, and Paola Chua, a ninth grader in Amanda Warring’s art class at Aylen Junior High.

Platt and Chua received 10 Spring Fair gate admission tickets, 12 ride tickets, and a basket of art supplies. Their artwork has also been featured on the Spring Fair’s website, as well as incorporated on a banner that will be displayed during the four-day event.

Second place honors went to Mia Keating, a second grader in Clint Patton’s class at Maplewood Elementary, and Astrid Vander Hoek, an eighth grader in Amanda Warring’s art class at Aylen Junior High.

Amelia Philip, a second grader in Andrea DeBruler’s class at Woodland Elementary, and Blake Sanford, a seventh grader in Margaret Langston’s art class at Stahl Junior High, won third place.

Each school that submitted artwork received a $100 gift card from the Spring Fair for art supplies. Schools with the top three winners received additional donations — $300 for first place, $250 for second place, and $150 for third place — to purchase art supplies.

Click to see a list of the second grade and high school poster contest winners. 

The annual project integrates art with social studies and introduces students to career paths that focus on strong artistic skills, said Brian Fox, the school district’s executive director of communications, information, and arts education.

Students interviewed family members or friends from an older generation, for example, about what it was like to attend the Spring Fair in years gone by, he said.

Washington State Fair Chief Executive Officer Kent Hojem added, “The Washington State Spring Fair has a strong commitment to youth educational activities each spring, and our partnership with the Puyallup School District is a highlight. We started this art project in 2008, and it is an excellent way to enhance the arts in the education curriculum. Having the opportunity to recognize so many artistic students in our community by displaying their creations has become a tradition at the Spring Fair.”

View slideshow of contest winners.