Tuesday 15 August 2006
Art award entries flowing in
Art awards coordinator Esther Mae with one of the winning entries from last year, created by Louis Meyer-Knight of Te
Akau ki Papamoa School.
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“Water is everybody’s business.”
That’s the theme for this year’s environmental art awards run by Environment Bay of Plenty.
Awards coordinator Esther Mae says entries are pouring in for the awards, which close on Friday 25 August.
This year’s theme is a take on the Conservation Week topic, conservation is everybody’s business. “We decided to focus
on water because it is so vitally important to life in general, and in particular to the lifestyle we have in the Bay of
Plenty. Everyone in the Bay of Plenty lives near a body of water, be it a lake, stream, river, coast, harbour or
estuary. We have asked students to explore their local waterway and translate this into an art work.”
Now in their ninth year, the awards are for primary, intermediate and secondary school students, with prizes for both
the winning entrants and their schools. They are always very popular, Ms Mae says. Last year, the event attracted 450
entries from close to 30 schools – and she does not expect it to be any different this time.
The awards encourage students to think about their relationship with the environment and how they affect it. Many
teachers also view it as an opportunity for integrating environmental education into the classroom.
ENDS