Storm drain art by Faruq Adger, 5th grade, Germantown Friends School. Photo by Shaun Bailey, courtesty of the Partnership of the Delaware Estuary.
Calling the next Banksy or Steve Powers, a.k.a. ESPO!
Philadelphia is a city filled with street art. In fact, Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program is the largest public art program in the country and their motto is “…art ignites change.” We agree and we’re looking for some aspiring young artists to create street art that will help us spread the word that pollution entering our storm drains can end up in our rivers.
The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary is now accepting entries on behalf of the Philadelphia Water Department for its Green City, Clean Waters Art Contest! The deadline for entries is February 28, 2015. A brochure with all of the contest rules and specs for the pictures and videos can be found by clicking on this link.
Students in grades K-12 can enter by creating a drawing and/or video showing others how to stop polluted water from entering local storm drains.
Last year’s first-place winner—Esme Fa Harrison from Germantown Friends School—was featured on WHYY’s Newsworks.org after her creation was turned into street art near a Germantown Avenue stormwater inlet. This year’s first-place winner will get to see their artwork digitally enhanced and enlarged to be placed in the streets of Philadelphia, reminding everyone that only rain should go in the storm drain. Please encourage a student you know to enter for a shot at his or her own street art fame!
Other winning drawings will be made into advertisements used on SEPTA buses, featured in a free calendar in the spring, and posted along with winning videos on the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds, and other sponsors’ websites.
Winning individuals and teams will have a chance at gift cards of up to $100 in value, a variety of art supplies for their schools, framed certificates, and a contest calendar featuring their artwork. Teachers of winning students will each receive $50 gift cards. The first three schools or organizations to submit over 100 entries will receive $100 gift cards.