AUSTIN — Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, is calling on Texas students to participate in the 9th annual “Treasures of the Texas Coast” Children’s Art Contest. The deadline to submit artwork is Monday, February 7, 2005.
“The toughest job I have is choosing the contest prize winners, because we get so many excellent entries,” Patterson said. “The artistry and insight of these kids is simply amazing. They’ve taken our slogan to heart: Trashing Texas beaches isn’t cool.”
Begun in 1996 with the 10th anniversary of the Adopt-A-Beach Program, the annual competition encourages Texas schoolchildren to learn more about the many splendors found along the Texas coast and express what they’ve learned in their art.
Open to students in grades K-6 across Texas, the contest produces thousands of drawings every year. The 2004 contest drew more than 7,200 entries. Artwork by fifth-grader Celina Hernandez, who attends Hawthorne School in San Antonio, earned the grand prize in the General Land Office’s Treasures of the Texas Coast 2004 Children’s Art Contest. Celina’s colorful, creative style was chosen over more than 7,200 other entries.
Any medium may be used, except for computer-generated artwork. Three-dimensional art is ineligible. Artwork should be based on the theme, “Treasures of the Texas Coast” and should show why the Texas coast is special to the student.
Only one entry per student is allowed, and all entries must have a completed parental release form taped to the back. Parental release forms may be printed from the GLO Web site located at www.texasadoptabeach.org. Each contest entry must be postmarked by Monday, February 7, 2005, and submitted on an 8 ½-inch by 11-inch sheet of white paper.
Students are encouraged to color copy their artwork prior to sending it in as all artwork submitted becomes property of the Texas General Land Office and will not be returned.
Two winners will be picked from each of the 24 regional councils of government in Texas. From these 48 winners, one grand prize winner will get two round-trip, coach-class tickets from Continental Airlines to any Continental destination in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. They’ll also get a class party at one of two Schlitterbahn Waterparks (in New Braunfels or South Padre Island).
Two winners from every region in the state will also be chosen. All 48 of the regional winners will receive a ticket to the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi, two all-day passes to Schlitterbahn, a soft-sided, insulated lunch bag from Keep Texas Beautiful, a certificate of recognition from the commissioner and a calendar featuring the winning artwork.
The grand prize winner’s teacher will also receive two round-trip, coach-class tickets courtesy of Continental Airlines.
This year’s contest sponsors are Continental Airlines, Schlitterbahn Waterparks, the Texas State Aquarium and Keep Texas Beautiful.
For more information and contest guidelines on the “Treasures of the Texas Coast 2005” Children’s Art Contest, contact the General Land Office at 1-877-TXCOAST or visit our Web site at http://www.texasadoptabeach.org/.