Society & Culture

State Botanical Garden announces winners of statewide art competition

Athens, Ga. – The State Botanical Garden of Georgia recently announced the winners of its 2010 art competition, which was sponsored by the J.A. and H.G. Woodruff, Jr. Charitable Trust to recognize student talent and create signature items for the garden’s gift shop. Eighty-seven entries were received from Georgia students in ninth grade and above.

First place winner Elizabeth Nixon is a UGA senior studying ecology and scientific illustration. “I’ve spent many hours wandering through the botanical garden, and though I have seen a vast collection of plants and animals from around the world, I am most fascinated by the native flora and fauna of Georgia,” said Nixon. “I hoped to show that in my art by researching the types of plants, animals and fungi found in the area and using that in my paintings. Georgia has the highest number and greatest diversity of amphibian species of all the United States, and is a contender for the state with the most species of turtles. I wanted to show that though birds and mammals are charismatic and very noble creatures, it is our overlooked herpetofauna that are what make Georgia truly a gem of biodiversity.”

Nixon’s painting “Come Out of Your Shell,” includes eastern box turtle, spotted touch-me-not, endemic psylocybe mushroom, black raspberry, ox-eye daisy, globular drop snail, and seven-spotted ladybeetle. Nixon also won a certificate of merit for another entry.

Second place and both third place prizes were awarded to high school students.

Susan Cooper, gift shop manager, will determine how to use this art to create signature items, such as T-shirts, totes, scarves, stationery and more to sell in the garden gift shop. “We have many handmade pieces created by local artists and by volunteers who gather together to craft items to sell in our gift shop. The objects created from the winning art will complement our selection of unique, garden-themed items.”

The winners are:

First Place ($1,000)

“Come Out of your Shell at the Botanical Garden,” by Elizabeth Nixon,
University of Georgia, Athens

watercolor

Second Place ($500)

“Inversion,” by Katie Siegel, Lawrenceville

Collins Hill High School, Suwanee

watercolor and ink

Third Place ($250 each, two-way tie)

Unnamed, by Kristen Penelope Pack, Cumming

Wesleyan School, Norcross

acrylic

“Together,” by Julie Rodriguez, Alpharetta

Wesleyan School, Norcross

digital photography

Certificates of Merit ($100 offer for artwork)

“Owl Tree,” by Elise Longnecker, Lawrenceville

Georgia Gwinnett College, Lawrenceville

ballpoint pen

“Bufo americanus,” by Elizabeth Nixon, Athens

University of Georgia, Athens

watercolor

Honorable Mentions

“Pod,” by Julia Timms, Savannah

Gainesville State College, Watkinsville

charcoal

“Grasshopper,” by Evan Anderson, Milton

Wesleyan School, Norcross

photography

“Leaf,” by Jake Cusick, Duluth

Wesleyan School,Norcross

photography

“Breeze,” by Robyn Johnson, Acworth

University of Georgia, Athens

photography

“Yellow,” by Adriana Galvez, Roswell

Wesleyan School, Norcross

acrylic

“Forgotten Hope,” by Corey Masccida, Atlanta

Cross Keys High School, Northeast DeKalb County

handmade paper

“Daisy,” by Emily Howell, Alpharetta

Wesleyan School, Norcross

photography