Winners of annual Decorate the Mayor’s Office Art Contest announced

Main photo: Winners of the 2018 Decorate the Mayor’s Office Art Contest (front from left) Mayor’s Choice Isabel Saffron Berg, Curator’s Choice Brydon Therrien, and People’s Choice Faithe Verch with (back from left) Mayor Aitchison and teacher Andrea Slocombe

The winners of the 2018 Decorate the Mayor’s Office Art Contest have been announced.

At the Huntsville Town Council meeting on May 28, Mayor Scott Aitchison presented the following awards:

• Mayor’s Choice: Isabel Saffron Berg
• Curator’s Choice: Brydon Therrien
• People’s Choice: Faithe Verch

For the first time in the history of this four-year contest, all the independently judged recipients were from one class, Ms. Andrea Slocombe’s Grade 4/5 class at Huntsville Public School.

Ms. Slocombe said, “The Mayor’s Art Contest is a wonderful way for the children to feel involved in our community. Through this contest the Mayor demonstrates his support of the importance of Arts education and the contest makes students feel that their Mayor is invested in their talents and schooling. My class is always enthusiastic to participate.

“To prepare them, I chose a few artists’ work to highlight that I felt would generate ideas around the theme. This year the theme was ‘It takes a Village.’ We had a lot of discussion about what that means to the students and what buildings or actions in our town highlight that message for them. I am grateful to the Mayor for providing an exciting opportunity for my students and for making them all feel that he appreciates their artistic abilities.”

The 2018 theme for the Decorate the Mayor’s Art Contest “It Takes a Village” is Huntsville’s 2018 theme and will be repeated in a number of other events in the Huntsville area this year, including Canada Day and Culture Days.

During the presentation, the award recipients were asked to sign their art which will be framed and hung in the Mayor’s office at Huntsville Town Hall. Mayor Aitchison noted that visitors to his office are impressed by the collection of student art on display there.

“The youth art motivates me to remember for whom we do our important and sometimes difficult work,” said Mayor Aitchison. “Today’s presentation is decidedly among the more enjoyable of my duties. I want to thank all the teachers and students in the Huntsville area for all they do every day to contribute to our community. You are all winners, in my book.”

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