"Channel Crossings or The Sea Bridge” is the Art Tales theme for 2017. When we speak of “the land and its people” throughout Ventura’s history we must talk about not only our beautiful coastal city but also the treasured Channel Islands close by and what is in between--those moving waters that connect everything: Channels Crossings or The Sea Bridge.
Accordingly, the art pieces that inspire this year’s Art Tales theme come not only from “the mainland” of our Municipal Art Collection but also “the offshore” or outdoor Public Art Collection and “the flux and flow” of our Public Temporary Art Collection.
TEACHERS: Contact Tobie Roach at 805.658-4759 or troach@cityofventura.net to request printed copies of materials for your classes or questions regarding the contest or CLICK HERE for a lesson plan.
Categories & Age Divisions
Enter your own poem or short story, 500 words or less in the following categories
- Youth (ages 12 and under)
- High School (ages 13-17)
- Adult (age 18 and up)
Locals can visit the Ventura E. P. Foster Library on the 2nd floor or the links below and choose the artwork that inspires them to create and enter their own poem or short story, 500 words or less by April 4, 2017.
Artworks & Theme (click HERE for all 4 works)
- The Whale’s Tail by Michelle Stevens and others, P.L.A.C.E. temporary sculpture of recycled plastic bottles, 2015
- Traveller by Blue McRight & Warren Wagner, Cor-Ten steel sculpture, 1998
- Channel Island Series by Tom McMillin, magnetite and plexiglas, mid-1980s
- Ventura by the Sea by Leonard Poteshman, acrylic and mixed media oil painting, 2004
PLUS: Everyone who enters the contest must Download and send the REQUIRED RELEASE FORM with their entry.
To enter:
- Write an original poem or short story (no more than 500 words in length) inspired by ONE of the artworks there that “calls” to you. Only ONE contest entry per person please.
- Prepare your entry as an electronic word document, in English or Spanish, in a twelve-point font, including at the top: the author’s name, address, phone number, email address, age, title of work and number of words.
- BY EMAIL ONLY to arttales@cityofventura.net with #arttales contest entry# as the email subject line – together with a completed release FORM (see next item below).
*Parents must do this for youth entries under 18
A committee of professionals, educators, librarians and City of Ventura staff will judge entries on creativity, presentation and correspondence to a specific artwork to select their top three choices for separate poetry and short fiction categories in three age divisions: Youth (ages 12 and under) High School (ages 13-17) Adult (age 18 and up).
For more information visit http://www.cityofventura.net/arttales
For more information visit http://www.cityofventura.net/arttales
