Four winning artworks selected in ‘Leave the Scene Clean’ contest
After hundreds of entries were submitted from local students, Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc., chose four winners, one of which was from Oasis Middle School and another North Fort Myers High School, for the 35th annual “Leave The Scene Clean” art contest.
The first-place winners were broken down into four different grade groups, which included Antonella DaRosa from St. Francis Xavier for K-3; Oliva Baker from Oasis Middle School for grades 4-6, Mia De La Cruz Matos from North Fort Myers High School for grades 7-9 and Jennifer Cedeno from Dunbar High School for grades 10-12.
“I was shocked. I was super tired when I found out. I thought I was dreaming,” Matos said after she checked her email and saw that she had won. “I didn’t think I would be allowed to win twice in a row. I mainly did it because I wanted to see my own improvement. I wasn’t expecting first again.”
Last year, she entered the contest for fun after her teacher encouraged her to submit her assignment from class.
“I was really surprised. My teacher didn’t know I was going to enter. I turned it in last minute. I wasn’t expecting much,” Matos said of the contest this year.
Matos said for her artwork she used bright colors, as well as animals native to Florida — such as an alligator, bird, frog and butterfly. She said she wanted to show that nature is beautiful, and everyone should protect it and keep things the way they are instead of ruining the environment.
“I wanted to make it more creative and add my own personality to it,” she said. “I love painting with different colors and making things colorful.”
The painting included acrylic paint, watercolors, alcohol markers and ink pens.
Matos said her teachers, all three of them, have inspired her and helped her improve her art through studio art, drawing, fine arts and crafts.
“I am so happy to be in the art program at this school. I tried my best and I got into the program,” she said.
Keep Lee County Beautiful Communications and Special Events Manger Tisha Bayne said the goal of the contest is to encourage students to think creatively about how we can all work together to keep our community clean and protect the environment.
“It is an opportunity for students to showcase their artistic talents while also learning about the importance of taking care of our environment,” she said. “Our volunteer group of judges selected the artwork based on artistic execution and originality as well as environmental theme.”
April Gibson, Oasis Middle School visual arts teacher, said this is the fourth year she has participated in the contest as an art teacher.
“I really enjoy using this as a lesson — thinking about the environment in the local area. A lot of times they think about penguins and polar bears. This was our way to make sure they realize right here in Lee County is an area of environmental issues. There are endangered animals in our own community,” she said.
All of the students in the school’s two art classes participated in the contest, as it was a graded project.
“We sent about a dozen art entries from our school alone,” she said.
Oasis Middle’s Baker said her artwork was of a turtle that has a six-pack plastic ring around its neck in the ocean.
“When I first think of Leave the Scene Clean, I think of the ocean. I feel like a lot of animals in the ocean are getting hurt, and we need to stop that,” she said.
Baker said she enjoyed creating the turtle due to the shading she added to the animal.
She was surprised when she won first place because she did not feel her work was the best out there.
“I was happy because I did it a few years ago, and I did not win,” Baker said.
The student’s artwork will be enlarged and appear on the side of a Lee County Waste Pro truck, as well as printed on reusable tote bags. The bags will be released in the fall and will be available through participating Lee County schools for a $5 donation. The proceeds will support on campus environmental projects.
In addition, the overall winners, as well as honorable-mention artwork, will be on display during April at the Fort Myers Public Works/Community Development building in honor of Earth month.
An awards reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. Monday, April 1, at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Caretaker’s House. The artwork will be exhibited, and the winners will receive their awards.
Honorable Mention winners
Grade K-3
• Elena Aristizabal – St. Francis Xavier
• Dailyn Dambrose – St. Francis Xavier
• Diego Guzman Lopez – Mirror Lakes Elementary
Grades 4-6
• Mara Burnside – St. Francis Xavier
• Sadie Siggs – Orangewood Elementary
• Sara Aristizabal – St. Francis Xavier
Grades 7-9
• Julianna White – Harns Marsh Middle School
• Akeiyah Givens – Trafalgar Middle School
• Olivia Kulchawick – Oasis Middle School
Grades 10-12
• Alex Davis – Dunbar High School
• Brody Ellis – Cypress Lake High School
• Emma Corbin – Cypress Lake High School
To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com