River of Words Environmental Poetry and Art Contest

The Peace River Center for Writers, Arts and Humanities Council of Charlotte County, and Keep Charlotte Beautiful are sponsoring a local level of the International River of Words Poetry and Art Contest.  The art contest is for middle school students only; the poetry contest is for middle and high school students. The theme for the contest is the Charlotte Harbor Watershed:  Geography (physical, social or political); Ecology (physical and biological aspects) or Cultural History (human influence on or response to).

Deadline for both contests is January 15, 2004, and all entries must be accompanied by an Official "River of Words" Contest Entry Form.  Forms are available at the offices or on the web sites or at www.riverofwords.org.

All poetry and art will be on exhibit during ArtSensation, February 7, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., at Edison Community College in Punta Gorda.  An awards ceremony and poetry reading will be held during  ArtSensation, the annual all-day, all-arts free festival of the Arts and Humanities Council. 

All poetry entries (and artwork with agreement of the artist) will also be submitted to the International Contest.  Co-founded by Robert Hass, former U.S. Poet Laureate (1995-1997), the contest is based on the belief that creating art about a watershed requires students to closely observe and appreciate the natural environment.  Such observation and appreciation in turn will inspire students to preserve and conserve.  The deadline for the international contest is February 15, 2004. No artwork will be returned from the international contest.

Poetry must be original, typed or legibly written in ink, not to exceed 32 lines, with the student's name, school, city, and state on the page.  Artwork can be in paint, pencil, marker, chalk, pastel (fixed), ink, crayon, cloth or collage; cannot exceed 11" x 17"; and must have the student's first and last name signed in the lower right-hand corner.

Local awards are donated by: Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County, Babcock Wilderness Adventure, Charlotte County Historical Center, Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, Friends of Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve, Keep Charlotte Beautiful, Peace River Audubon Society, Punta Gorda Historical Society, Peace River Center for Writers.

Local contest co-sponsored by and environmental information from: Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County, Charlotte Harbor Aquatic & State Buffer Preserves, Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, Inc., Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program, Friends of Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserves,  Keep Charlotte Beautiful, Peace River Audubon Society, Peace River Center for Writers.

Information and entry forms available from:
Arts & Humanities Council of Charlotte County ~  941-764-8100 ~ 
charlotte_arts@nut-n-but.net
Peace River Center for Writers ~ 941-575-1976 ~ peaceriverwriters@comcast.net
Keep Charlotte Beautiful ~ 941-764-4390 ~  keepcharlottebeautiful@charlottefl.com.

Click here for more information about the international contest.

Click here for the entry form.