2016 Art Tales’ winners being honored by Cheryl Heitmann.
All participants of the City of Ventura’s 9th annual Art Tales “writing contest inspired by art” and the public are invited to attend a special reception and reading with refreshments at E.P. Foster Library, 2nd floor on Thursday, June 8 at 5:30 pm. Community members are invited and encouraged to hear the winners read their entries and receive their prizes.
Youth, high school and adult writers, from around the country, submitted a record 123 works of short fiction and poems inspired by City of Ventura’s Municipal Art Collection and public art created by artists Blue McRight & Warren Wagner, Tom McMillin, Leonard Poteshman and Michelle Stevens and team. Contestants ranged in age from kindergarten to over 80 years old. Most entries came from Ventura County: 33 adults (18 & up); 30 teens (13-17); and 60 youth (12 & under). Many teachers from the Ventura Unified School District encouraged their students to enter.
The five contest judges were Ventura County Poet Laureate Phil Taggart, Ventura County Librarian Irma Morales, Ventura Poet Richard Newsham, Ventura Library Advisory Commissioner Debbie Giles and Community Partnerships Manager Denise Sindelar. The judges received all entries “blind” – identified only by (1) a number, (2) the artwork that inspired it, (3) prose or poetry category and (4) age group of the writer.
The 2017 winners of Art Tales are:
Youth Poetry: 1st Rachel Patrykus 2nd Gianne Garman 3rd Katie Trevisan
Youth Fiction: 1st Sidney Crutz 2nd Amy Baumgardner 3rd Sienna Mody
Teen Poetry: 1st Penelope Duran 2nd Jolee Niberding-Swanberg 3rd Sophie Stimer
Teen Fiction: 1st Nadia Connelly 2nd Calista Marsh 3rd Anna Berezovskiy
Adult Poetry: 1st Melissa Waters 2nd Andres Rodriquez 3rd Anabelle Warren
Adult Fiction: 1st Patty Vickers 2nd Juan David Cure 3rd Rick Garcia
“We thank all participants for sending in such beautiful poems or stories,” said Art Tales Curator Tobie Roach. “It is amazing to read the many ways the artworks in our Municipal Art Collection inspire more creativity than anyone could imagine.”
