Two UGA students and one Locust Grove High School student were chosen as the top three winners in the annual student art contest held by the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, a unit of UGA Public Service and Outreach.
The winners of the 2016 art contest are Mikaila Guerra of Kathleen, first place; Benjamin Thrash of Athens, second place; and Tania Sturm of McDonough, third place. Guerra, a third-year UGA student majoring in fine arts, created a piece with permanent markers titled “At the Botans.’ Thrash, a third-year UGA student majoring in fine arts and art education, created a watercolor and gouache piece titled “Costa Rica Plant.” Sturm, a student at Locust Grove High School, created a piece with watercolor and colored pencils titled “Blue Elegance.”
In December, a panel of judges selected the winners and certificate of merit recipients from about 90 entries. Students from grade nine through college were eligible to enter the contest and could use any media of their choice to represent the garden.
Winning artwork will be used to create signature items in the garden’s gift shop, and first, second and third place winners will receive $1,000, $500 and $250, respectively.
The winning entries from the past 10 years will be on display at the State Botanical Garden’s Visitor Center until Feb. 12. The garden is located at 2450 S. Milledge Ave.
The winning entries and a list of those entries receiving certificates of merit are at http://statebotgardenga.blogspot.com.
