South Paulding Middle School Student Among Top 12 WaterArt Finalists

Cobb and Paulding County middle school students are making a splash in the fourth annual visual arts contest, waterSmart waterArt – a creative competition that merges students’ artistic talents with their passion for water conservation.  The waterSmart waterArt contest is a collaborative program of Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) and Cobb County Water System.

More than 180 students from nine schools submitted artwork, which was judged by a panel of local artists and conservationists on artistic ability, water relevance and creativity. Joanna Frazier, an eighth grade student at Lovinggood Middle School, received the highest scores for her entry that depicted the importance of promoting water conservation in everyday activities.

The top 12 entries will be featured in the 2014 waterSmart waterArt calendar that will be distributed throughout metro Atlanta. This year’s finalists represent middle school students in both Cobb and Paulding counties, including:

• Jessica Avila – Floyd Middle School
• Justin Cloutier – McClure Middle School
• Jonathan Davis – McClure Middle School
• Taylor Davis – South Paulding Middle School
• Issabella Du – J.J. Daniell Middle School
• Ashley Enoh – East Cobb Middle School
• Joanna Frazier – Lovinggood Middle School
• Rhiannon Jones – McClure Middle School
• Ethan Pound – Lovinggood Middle School
• Vivian Tong – Campbell Middle School
• Marcus Townsend – Dobbins Middle School
• Keely White – Hightower Trail Middle School

Participants’ submissions are currently on display now through Nov. 29 at The Art Station-Big Shanty. To further celebrate this year’s finalists, the exhibition will conclude with a reception – featuring Michael Carter, Paulding County Water System Director and Judith Condon, Cobb County Supervisor of Visual Arts – at The Art Station-Big Shanty on Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m.

“Each year we are continually impressed by the positive and thoughtful messages of conservation shown through the students’ artwork,” says Becky Mixon, waterSmart program director. “We are incredibly proud of our top 12 winners and all participants, and we look forward to seeing what next year’s entries will bring.”

A common theme among entries this year was the importance of water conservation for future generations. Many also illustrated the importance of saving water around the home and in the garden. 

To get involved with future waterSmart programs, go to www.waterSmart.net.

About waterSmart

The waterSmartSM program was initiated by the CCMWA in 2000 to educate their service area residents of all ages about the importance of indoor and outdoor water conservation and to help encourage sustainable, year-round conservation, regardless of climate conditions.  The CCMWA is in its twelfth year of providing the waterSmart program to the community.  For more information on water conservation and waterSmart, visit www.waterSmart.net.