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.