Creative expressions
Culture of Giving's winning artists
give back to community |
Kyle Blum, For the Camera
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Just in time for the holidays, area students have created
their visions of giving in hopes of inspiring others to
give their time and money to local nonprofit organizations.
More than 100 students participated in this year’s
Culture of Giving Art Contest, an educational art contest
that allows middle school and high school students to
choose a local nonprofit organization and illustrate the
impact of that nonprofit in the community through an artistic
piece. The contest is part of the Culture of Giving Movement,
which was established over six years ago by local citizens
and the Community Foundation, with the goal of raising
awareness about the importance of philanthropic giving
and sense of community in Boulder.
Madeline Puterbaugh, a 14-year-old freshman at Boulder
High School, took first place in the high school category
with her piece depicting a girl reaching out to a butterfly.
“The butterfly represents an experience that is
new to her,” said Puterbaugh. “The butterfly
she’s reaching out to is a bright color, and the
others behind it are gray. It symbolizes how special it
is to have that opportunity.”
Puterbaugh said her piece was inspired by Mothers Acting
Up, to whom she will be donating half of her winnings,
and the Colorado Youth Program. The two programs provide
opportunities to children.
“Especially in Boulder, we take for granted the
nature all around us, and don’t realize that some
people don’t get to have that experience,”
she said. “It’s kind of out of a kid’s
control if they can’t afford to go to camp, so it’s
important to provide those opportunities.”
She said she thinks this contest is important because
it’s doing something good and creating art. “If
you’re going to paint, why not do it for a good
cause?” she said.
The first place winner in the middle school category,
13-year-old Clara Bertness, also said she thinks the contest
is important because it raises awareness. “I think
it’s really important for people to be aware of
the problems around them, and that there’s still
a chance to do something,” she said. “You
don’t have to dedicate your whole life just to help
someone.”
Bertness, an eighth grader at Manhattan Middle School,
said her piece shows a lesbian couple at their wedding.
She said she was trying to show support for gay, lesbian,
an bisexual people and the foundations that support them.
“It’s silly not to support things like that,
in my opinion,” she said. “I see too much
hate and homophobia in this culture.”
Because of that, Bertness will be donating half of her
winnings to Boulder Pride.
In each category, first-, second- and third-place winners
will receive $1,000, $750 and $500 respectively, half
of which will be donated to a local nonprofit organization
of each winner’s choice.
All participants will be honored at the Culture of Giving
Celebration today, and all submitted artwork will be on
display at the Dairy Center for the Arts through Dec.
31. Today’s celebration is free and open to the
public.
Other winners include Katie Dalsimer, a 17-year-old senior
at Boulder High School and Brooke Roberts, a 17-year-old
junior at Boulder High School, who took second and third
places in the high school category. In the middle school
category, second and third places were awarded to Gina
Bellhouse and Hannah Moench, both 13-year-old eighth graders
at Manhattan Middle School.
Boulder Technical Education Center won the High School
Class Award, while Manhattan Middle School won the Middle
School Class Award. Both schools have participated in
all four years of the contest and fully integrate the
project into their class’s work.
Other participating schools were Boulder High School,
Monarch High School, Peak to Peak Charter School, and
Louisville Middle School.
Honorable Mentions for High School: Helen Hartman, 12th
grade, 17 years old, Boulder High School; Libby Laundauer,
12th grade, 17 years old, Boulder High School; Leah Pantea,
12th grade, 17 years old, Boulder High School; Tyler Calonne,
12th grade, 18 years old, Boulder TEC.
Honorable Mentions for Middle School: Colby Clow, seventh
grade, 12 years old, Manhattan Middle School; Claire Forbes,
eighth grade, 14 years old, Manhattan Middle School; Graydon
Roper, eighth grade, 13 years old, Manhattan Middle School.
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Madeline Puterbaugh, Age 14
1st Place, High School Division
Boulder High School, 9th Grade
Katie Dalsimer, Age 17
2nd Place, High School Division
Boulder High School, 12th Grade
Brooke Roberts, Age 17
3rd Place, High School Division
Boulder High School 11th Grade
Clara Bertness, Age 13
1st Place, Middle School Division
Manhattan Middle School, 8th Grade
Gina Bellhouse, Age 13
2nd Place, Middle School Division
Manhattan Middle School, 8th Grade
Hannah Moench, Age 13
3rd Place, Middle School Division
Manhattan Middle School, 8th Grade
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