l.a. times. — lesson plans for teachers

4
A Writing Contest Inspired by Art Teal Rowe Frances Johnson William Hendricks 10th Annual CITY OF PARKS, RECREATION & COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS M usic I n s p i r e s t h e S p i r i t 2018 T h e m e : The City of Ventura is looking forward to the ten year anniversary of the Art Tales writing and poetry competition.Take a look at this year’s art selection to get inspired! Which will you choose? Enter by April 4,2018 Prizes in three age categories. The City of Ventura is pleased to sponsor this tenth annual creative contest open to writers worldwide. The contest invites imaginative writers of all ages to compose a short story or poem (500 words maximum) inspired by one of the artworks currently on exhibit at Ventura City Hall from the Public and Municipal Art Collection. Artworks & Theme 2018 Theme: “Music Inspires the Spirit” Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” — Plato “One of the first cultures to articulate how music re- ally works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you: the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of rela- tionships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the posi- tion of things inside us….art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, ‘I am alive, and my life has meaning.’ ” — Frances Wilson – pianist, writer, concert reviewer, blogger and music lover What inspires us, unites us, connects us to our hearts and what always has since the beginning of time? Music! This year’s Art Tales theme “Music Inspires the Spirit” invites you to share how art and its melody reach the invisible moving pieces inside your heart and soul. —Tobie Roach, Public Art Project Manager • Artworks are shown on the back page of this brochure. • — Lesson Plans for Teachers — How to Enter 1. Visit Ventura City Hall, the main entrance foyer at 501 Poli Street, to view the exhibit, or view the images and the complete contest kit online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/arttales. 2. Write an original poem or short story (no more than 500 words in length) inspired by ONE of the exhibit’s artworks that “sings” to you. Only ONE contest entry per person please. 3. Prepare your entry as an electronic Word document, (in English only), in a twelve-point font. Include at the top the author’s name, address, phone number, email address, age, title of work, and number of words. 4. Submit your entry by April 4, 2018 BY EMAIL ONLY to [email protected] with “#arttales contest entry#” as the email subject line – together with a completed release form (see next item below). 5. Complete a savable pdf release form – parents must do this for youth entries under 18 – copy the document to your desktop, fill it in, save and send it along with your entry poem or short story in your email. Judging A committee of professionals, educators, 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 (12 years or younger) • Teen (13-17 years) • Adult (18 years and up) Awards & Reading All winners receive a bound edition of the judges’ selection with cash prizes for first ($30) and second ($15) place. The Mayor of Ventura presents the awards in April or May during a reading of works by contest winners: all participants, their families and friends and the public are invited to attend this special event where refreshments are served.

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A Writing Co

ntest Inspir

ed by Art

Teal

Row

e

Fran

ces

John

son

Will

iam

Hen

drick

s

10th Annual

CITY OF

PARKS, RECREATION &

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Music Inspire

s the Spirit

2018 Th e

me:

The City of Ventura is looking forward to the ten year anniversary of the

Art Tales writing and poetry competition. Take a look at this

year’s art selection to get inspired!

Which will you choose?

Enter by April

4,2018

Prizes in three age categories.

Special needs may be met by calling 805-658-4726 or through the California Relay Service.

The City of Ventura is pleased to sponsor this tenth annual creative contest open to writers worldwide.

The contest invites imaginative writers of all ages to compose a short story or poem (500 words maximum) inspired by one of the ar tworks currently on exhibit at Ventura City Hall from the Public and Municipal Art Collection.

Artworks & Theme 2018 Theme: “Music Inspires the Spirit”

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” — Plato

“One of the first cultures to articulate how music re-ally works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you: the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of rela-tionships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the posi-tion of things inside us….art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, ‘I am alive, and my life has meaning.’ ” — Frances Wilson – pianist, writer, concert reviewer, blogger and music lover

What inspires us, unites us, connects us to our hearts and what always has since the beginning of time? Music! This year’s Art Tales theme “Music Inspires the Spirit” invites you to share how art and its melody reach the invisible moving pieces inside your heart and soul. —Tobie Roach, Public Art Project Manager

• Artworks are shown on the back page of this brochure. •

— Lesson Plans for Teachers —

William Hendricks (b. 1957) Tambor, 2000, photograph

A California native, William Hendricks has traveled extensively all over the world. He feels his “travels have made him aware of how swiftly traditional texture and cultural nuance vanish in the face of developing technology.” For many years the Island Nation of Cuba has captured his imagination, as well as the focus of his camera lens. Producing thousands of evocative and beautiful images that reflect a fascination for this rich culture, William Hendricks responds to customs and ritu-als that define the spiritual life of a community.

William Hendricks possesses a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science Degree from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. He has taught pho-tography for over twenty-five years at Ventura College, and his work has been featured in notable publications such as Photographers Forum and the L.A. Times.

Frances Johnson (b. 1924) Clouds that Free the Spirit, mid 1990s, pastel on matboard

Frances Johnson says she supports the Municipal Art Acquisition Program because it is a com-mendable and extremely important endeavor, which preserves and protects the works of art.

To the public viewer it gives joy and better understanding of the artist’s intent. Of her work Clouds that Free the Spirit, she says, “I was walking on a trail where the clouds rose up above the mountains, and all of a sudden gathered emotions that had to be expressed . . . recorded as visual experience. My work is not literal or detailed, but an abstraction of feelings that I find many people can relate to as emotional impressions.”

Frances Johnson’s work has been widely exhibited in prominent galleries and museums includ-ing the Running Ridge Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Museum of Ventura County, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Her work can also be found in the Smithsonian Museum, the City of Ojai Art Collection and the Ventura County Museum of History and Art.

Teal RoweFreedom Wing, 2004, hand sculpted glass

Teal Rowe describes glassmaking as the “ultimate alchemy” because the results of each new work depend on a whole range of uncontrollable variables. “There is no way to know what the mix of colors, temperature, and the day’s atmosphere will produce.”

Being born into a family that included both ranchers and artists triggered, in Rowe, an artistic sensibility deeply informed by nature. Her initial interest in painting and drawing was transformed into a passion for glassmaking when she attended a workshop with glassmaker Ed Broadfield in Oregon. Captivated by the art form, she went on to apprentice with master glassmakers Susan Ford and Pino Signaoetto. However, it wasn’t until she studied with the great Dion Rosin from Murano, Italy that she began creating solid glass sculptures. Known for their ethereal grace and exquisite “painterly” feel, her glass artworks are widely collected.

Teal Rowe has been successfully producing award-winning, hand blown glass artworks since 1994. With a deeply ingrained work ethic, she continues to study and learn new techniques, pushing her own boundaries as well as those of her chosen medium.

12•17

About the 2018 Art Tales Art and Artists

Qualified entries shall be (a) either a single short story or poem (one entry per person) (b) no longer than 500 words (c) written solely by the entrant (d) not previously published (e) nor in conflict with trademark, copyright, rights of privacy, rights of publicity or any other rights, of

any kind or nature, of any other person or entity; (f) which does not include any language or other content that is indecent or inappropriate as determined by the CITY in its discretion. Entries not satisfying these criteria in any respect will be disqualified.

Contest Rules

How to Enter1. Visit Ventura City Hall, the main entrance foyer at 501 Poli Street, to

view the exhibit, or view the images and the complete contest kit online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/arttales.

2. Write an original poem or short story (no more than 500 words in length) inspired by ONE of the exhibit’s artworks that “sings” to you. Only ONE contest entry per person please.

3. Prepare your entry as an electronic Word document, (in English only), in a twelve-point font. Include at the top the author’s name, address, phone number, email address, age, title of work, and number of words.

4. Submit your entry by April 4, 2018 BY EMAIL ONLY to [email protected] with “#arttales contest entry#” as the email subject line – together with a completed release form (see next item below).

5. Complete a savable pdf release form – parents must do this for youth entries under 18 – copy the document to your desktop, fill it in, save and send it along with your entry poem or short story in your email.

JudgingA committee of professionals, educators, 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 (12 years or younger) • Teen (13-17 years) • Adult (18 years and up)

Awards & ReadingAll winners receive a bound edition of the judges’ selection with cash prizes for first ($30) and second ($15) place. The Mayor of Ventura presents the awards in April or May during a reading of works by contest winners: all participants, their families and friends and the public are invited to attend this special event where refreshments are served.

If That Picture Could SpeakA lesson plan for teachers – adapt for younger students.

Two Monkeys

by Pieter Bruegel

The Old Guitarist

by Pablo Picasso

A brief history of ekphrasisIf a picture could speak, what tale would it tell you? An act of writing inspired by looking closely at a work of visual art is called ekphrasis, a Greek word meaning “to speak out.” For over 2,500 years this ancient technique has helped artworks “talk” through writers who use their full imaginative powers to respond directly to art from the past or today’s creative minds.

1. Homer’s “Shield of Achilles” in the Iliad from the 5th century B.C. acts like a “movie screen” projecting scenes of a wedding, trial, army ambush, lion attacking a bull and a big dance party.

2. Latin poet Horace claims that “poetry is a speaking picture” in the first century A.D.

3. 19th century poet John Keats at a museum speaks to a young couple painted on an ancient vase in “Ode on a Grecian Urn” as if they are still alive today (find his drawing on the Internet).

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;And on the pedestal these words appear:“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away.

Elephant’s Footprint

by Vivian Gaggia

Glacier, destructive and dangerous

cruel and cold, slowly drifts

destroying everything in its path

Like an elephant dancing through the jungle

He pays no attention to anything around him

Though the glacier will someday melt

and the water will rush through the forest

down to an ocean or lake

Eventually, it will freeze

and smash through the valleys once again

Poem & Poet Artwork

“Ozymandius” by Percy Bysshe Shelley .........................................................................Photo of Egyptian ruins (see below)

“The Great Figure” by William Carlos Williams ........................................................I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold, by Charles Demeuth

“The Man with the Blue Guitar” by Wallace Stevens ............................................The Old Guitarist, by Pablo Picasso

“Two Monkeys by Breughel” by Wislawa Szymborska ..........................................Two Monkeys, by Pieter Bruegel

“Elephant’s Footprint” by Vivian Gaggia, Art Tales winner ...................................Glacial Melt, by Helle Sharling-Todd

“Migration” by Mary Kaye Rummel, Art Tales winner ............................................Migration #8, by Debra McKillop

View the artworks at Ventura City Hall or on our websiteVisit Ventura City Hall or project the images from our website links – you may also request a teacher’s kit with reproductions of the art for classroom use at [email protected]. Explain the titles, examine the artworks and discuss them briefly.

Give students some pre-write advice as they make their choices by saying:1. Pick an artwork that causes an immediate reaction in you.

Examine it more closely. Look deep inside. Ask yourself: What do I see, feel, or question? Look for details. Use colors. Create your own title for the artwork.

2. Go “behind the painting” or artwork; go beyond what you can actually see; use all your senses; make it personal.

3. Think about how you will make the artwork MOVE as you give the artwork a VOICE, CAPTURE its energy and ACTIONS with words, and add your own life or dimension to the artwork.

Discuss four approaches to get “write inside” the artwork1. Create your own story about the painting. Let your mind

wander, then answer the question: What is going on? How does it end?

2. Create a conversation or argument among the people or even objects depicted; make them speak!

3. Enter the artwork yourself—climb inside—and describe your experiences or “adventures within the frame.”

4. Pretend you are the artist. What’s on your mind as you work? What happened beforehand? Afterwards?

Let the writing begin!Ask students to:

– jot down “writing bubbles” of what immediately strikes them about the artwork’s vivid images, details and metaphors;

– create ten to twenty lines of poetry or a minimum of five sentences full of clear colors, unusual details and metaphor “discoveries.”

Share the results!Allow at least ten minutes at the end of class for students who wish to read aloud their creations.

Revise poems on the computer and email them into the contestTeachers can fax or save handwritten copies as a pdf for younger contestants.

Migrationby Mary Kaye Rummel

Free from the call of the seaa Luna moth sputters

into light through an open window.Body too heavy for wings,

she stutters against my arm,flickering like a loose bulb

in the anemone dark. Tonight black inverts like a mother

playing here and gone, drawinga tight shirt over her child’s eyes.Tonight beneath the moth moon

we will sleep back to back.

Migration #8, by Debra McKillopGlacial Melt, by Helle Sharling-Todd

Writers “make great pictures” by using words. The power of images—in poetry and visual art—is what “speaks” to our imaginations. Remember that “image” is the root of the word “imagination.”

Discuss model poems inspired by artProject two or three poems and images (from our and other websites) for students to read aloud, taking turns by stanza. A fragment of a statue of Ramses II (aka Ozymandias) in the British Museum inspired Shelley to write his sonnet. For each poem, ask students to say what details they like best, and to identify metaphors and discuss the poet’s approach.

If That Picture Could SpeakA lesson plan for teachers – adapt for younger students.

Two Monkeys

by Pieter Bruegel

The Old Guitarist

by Pablo Picasso

A brief history of ekphrasisIf a picture could speak, what tale would it tell you? An act of writing inspired by looking closely at a work of visual art is called ekphrasis, a Greek word meaning “to speak out.” For over 2,500 years this ancient technique has helped artworks “talk” through writers who use their full imaginative powers to respond directly to art from the past or today’s creative minds.

1. Homer’s “Shield of Achilles” in the Iliad from the 5th century B.C. acts like a “movie screen” projecting scenes of a wedding, trial, army ambush, lion attacking a bull and a big dance party.

2. Latin poet Horace claims that “poetry is a speaking picture” in the first century A.D.

3. 19th century poet John Keats at a museum speaks to a young couple painted on an ancient vase in “Ode on a Grecian Urn” as if they are still alive today (find his drawing on the Internet).

Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelley

I met a traveller from an antique landWho said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stoneStand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,Tell that its sculptor well those passions readWhich yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;And on the pedestal these words appear:“My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!”Nothing beside remains. Round the decayOf that colossal wreck, boundless and bareThe lone and level sands stretch far away.

Elephant’s Footprint

by Vivian Gaggia

Glacier, destructive and dangerous

cruel and cold, slowly drifts

destroying everything in its path

Like an elephant dancing through the jungle

He pays no attention to anything around him

Though the glacier will someday melt

and the water will rush through the forest

down to an ocean or lake

Eventually, it will freeze

and smash through the valleys once again

Poem & Poet Artwork

“Ozymandius” by Percy Bysshe Shelley .........................................................................Photo of Egyptian ruins (see below)

“The Great Figure” by William Carlos Williams ........................................................I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold, by Charles Demeuth

“The Man with the Blue Guitar” by Wallace Stevens ............................................The Old Guitarist, by Pablo Picasso

“Two Monkeys by Breughel” by Wislawa Szymborska ..........................................Two Monkeys, by Pieter Bruegel

“Elephant’s Footprint” by Vivian Gaggia, Art Tales winner ...................................Glacial Melt, by Helle Sharling-Todd

“Migration” by Mary Kaye Rummel, Art Tales winner ............................................Migration #8, by Debra McKillop

View the artworks at Ventura City Hall or on our websiteVisit Ventura City Hall or project the images from our website links – you may also request a teacher’s kit with reproductions of the art for classroom use at [email protected]. Explain the titles, examine the artworks and discuss them briefly.

Give students some pre-write advice as they make their choices by saying:1. Pick an artwork that causes an immediate reaction in you.

Examine it more closely. Look deep inside. Ask yourself: What do I see, feel, or question? Look for details. Use colors. Create your own title for the artwork.

2. Go “behind the painting” or artwork; go beyond what you can actually see; use all your senses; make it personal.

3. Think about how you will make the artwork MOVE as you give the artwork a VOICE, CAPTURE its energy and ACTIONS with words, and add your own life or dimension to the artwork.

Discuss four approaches to get “write inside” the artwork1. Create your own story about the painting. Let your mind

wander, then answer the question: What is going on? How does it end?

2. Create a conversation or argument among the people or even objects depicted; make them speak!

3. Enter the artwork yourself—climb inside—and describe your experiences or “adventures within the frame.”

4. Pretend you are the artist. What’s on your mind as you work? What happened beforehand? Afterwards?

Let the writing begin!Ask students to:

– jot down “writing bubbles” of what immediately strikes them about the artwork’s vivid images, details and metaphors;

– create ten to twenty lines of poetry or a minimum of five sentences full of clear colors, unusual details and metaphor “discoveries.”

Share the results!Allow at least ten minutes at the end of class for students who wish to read aloud their creations.

Revise poems on the computer and email them into the contestTeachers can fax or save handwritten copies as a pdf for younger contestants.

Migrationby Mary Kaye Rummel

Free from the call of the seaa Luna moth sputters

into light through an open window.Body too heavy for wings,

she stutters against my arm,flickering like a loose bulb

in the anemone dark. Tonight black inverts like a mother

playing here and gone, drawinga tight shirt over her child’s eyes.Tonight beneath the moth moon

we will sleep back to back.

Migration #8, by Debra McKillopGlacial Melt, by Helle Sharling-Todd

Writers “make great pictures” by using words. The power of images—in poetry and visual art—is what “speaks” to our imaginations. Remember that “image” is the root of the word “imagination.”

Discuss model poems inspired by artProject two or three poems and images (from our and other websites) for students to read aloud, taking turns by stanza. A fragment of a statue of Ramses II (aka Ozymandias) in the British Museum inspired Shelley to write his sonnet. For each poem, ask students to say what details they like best, and to identify metaphors and discuss the poet’s approach.

A Writing Co

ntest Inspir

ed by Art

Teal

Row

e

Fran

ces

John

son

Will

iam

Hen

drick

s

10th Annual

CITY OF

PARKS, RECREATION &

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Music Inspire

s the Spirit

2018 Th e

me:

The City of Ventura is looking forward to the ten year anniversary of the

Art Tales writing and poetry competition. Take a look at this

year’s art selection to get inspired!

Which will you choose?

Enter by April

4,2018

Prizes in three age categories.

Special needs may be met by calling 805-658-4726 or through the California Relay Service.

The City of Ventura is pleased to sponsor this tenth annual creative contest open to writers worldwide.

The contest invites imaginative writers of all ages to compose a short story or poem (500 words maximum) inspired by one of the ar tworks currently on exhibit at Ventura City Hall from the Public and Municipal Art Collection.

Artworks & Theme 2018 Theme: “Music Inspires the Spirit”

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” — Plato

“One of the first cultures to articulate how music re-ally works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you: the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of rela-tionships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the posi-tion of things inside us….art is part of the human spirit, an unquenchable expression of who we are. Art is one of the ways in which we say, ‘I am alive, and my life has meaning.’ ” — Frances Wilson – pianist, writer, concert reviewer, blogger and music lover

What inspires us, unites us, connects us to our hearts and what always has since the beginning of time? Music! This year’s Art Tales theme “Music Inspires the Spirit” invites you to share how art and its melody reach the invisible moving pieces inside your heart and soul. —Tobie Roach, Public Art Project Manager

• Artworks are shown on the back page of this brochure. •

— Lesson Plans for Teachers —

William Hendricks (b. 1957) Tambor, 2000, photograph

A California native, William Hendricks has traveled extensively all over the world. He feels his “travels have made him aware of how swiftly traditional texture and cultural nuance vanish in the face of developing technology.” For many years the Island Nation of Cuba has captured his imagination, as well as the focus of his camera lens. Producing thousands of evocative and beautiful images that reflect a fascination for this rich culture, William Hendricks responds to customs and ritu-als that define the spiritual life of a community.

William Hendricks possesses a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science Degree from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. He has taught pho-tography for over twenty-five years at Ventura College, and his work has been featured in notable publications such as Photographers Forum and the L.A. Times.

Frances Johnson (b. 1924) Clouds that Free the Spirit, mid 1990s, pastel on matboard

Frances Johnson says she supports the Municipal Art Acquisition Program because it is a com-mendable and extremely important endeavor, which preserves and protects the works of art.

To the public viewer it gives joy and better understanding of the artist’s intent. Of her work Clouds that Free the Spirit, she says, “I was walking on a trail where the clouds rose up above the mountains, and all of a sudden gathered emotions that had to be expressed . . . recorded as visual experience. My work is not literal or detailed, but an abstraction of feelings that I find many people can relate to as emotional impressions.”

Frances Johnson’s work has been widely exhibited in prominent galleries and museums includ-ing the Running Ridge Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Museum of Ventura County, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Her work can also be found in the Smithsonian Museum, the City of Ojai Art Collection and the Ventura County Museum of History and Art.

Teal RoweFreedom Wing, 2004, hand sculpted glass

Teal Rowe describes glassmaking as the “ultimate alchemy” because the results of each new work depend on a whole range of uncontrollable variables. “There is no way to know what the mix of colors, temperature, and the day’s atmosphere will produce.”

Being born into a family that included both ranchers and artists triggered, in Rowe, an artistic sensibility deeply informed by nature. Her initial interest in painting and drawing was transformed into a passion for glassmaking when she attended a workshop with glassmaker Ed Broadfield in Oregon. Captivated by the art form, she went on to apprentice with master glassmakers Susan Ford and Pino Signaoetto. However, it wasn’t until she studied with the great Dion Rosin from Murano, Italy that she began creating solid glass sculptures. Known for their ethereal grace and exquisite “painterly” feel, her glass artworks are widely collected.

Teal Rowe has been successfully producing award-winning, hand blown glass artworks since 1994. With a deeply ingrained work ethic, she continues to study and learn new techniques, pushing her own boundaries as well as those of her chosen medium.

12•17

About the 2018 Art Tales Art and Artists

Qualified entries shall be (a) either a single short story or poem (one entry per person) (b) no longer than 500 words (c) written solely by the entrant (d) not previously published (e) nor in conflict with trademark, copyright, rights of privacy, rights of publicity or any other rights, of

any kind or nature, of any other person or entity; (f) which does not include any language or other content that is indecent or inappropriate as determined by the CITY in its discretion. Entries not satisfying these criteria in any respect will be disqualified.

Contest Rules

How to Enter1. Visit Ventura City Hall, the main entrance foyer at 501 Poli Street, to

view the exhibit, or view the images and the complete contest kit online at www.cityofventura.ca.gov/arttales.

2. Write an original poem or short story (no more than 500 words in length) inspired by ONE of the exhibit’s artworks that “sings” to you. Only ONE contest entry per person please.

3. Prepare your entry as an electronic Word document, (in English only), in a twelve-point font. Include at the top the author’s name, address, phone number, email address, age, title of work, and number of words.

4. Submit your entry by April 4, 2018 BY EMAIL ONLY to [email protected] with “#arttales contest entry#” as the email subject line – together with a completed release form (see next item below).

5. Complete a savable pdf release form – parents must do this for youth entries under 18 – copy the document to your desktop, fill it in, save and send it along with your entry poem or short story in your email.

JudgingA committee of professionals, educators, 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 (12 years or younger) • Teen (13-17 years) • Adult (18 years and up)

Awards & ReadingAll winners receive a bound edition of the judges’ selection with cash prizes for first ($30) and second ($15) place. The Mayor of Ventura presents the awards in April or May during a reading of works by contest winners: all participants, their families and friends and the public are invited to attend this special event where refreshments are served.