Two Portage girls finalists in state art contest
Amanda Fish and Ciara Graf are walking on air this week after being named state finalists in the Wisconsin Aviation Art Contest.
We found out this Monday. Best start to the week, said Tim Znidarsich, art teacher at Wayne Bartels Middle School in Portage.
The students art, with the theme of My Favorite Air Sport, will go on to the national competition next month. Within the intermediate age group, Amanda took second place and Ciara was third in the state. They will receive $75 and $50, respectively, toward art supplies.
From the moment I turned it in I thought that it would be too simple, Ciara, 13, said. I really like the ocean, so I wanted to incorporate that.
She painted a wind surfer riding angular waves of blue. Although Ciara has yet to try the sport, she said, her dad later told her about a relative in Hawaii that teaches it.
Amanda wanted to draw in manga style, she said, which is a form of Japanese comic and cartoons.
Manga is different from American cartoons because it has a lot more detail, its prettier. I started drawing it since I was 9, she said. Some will have wings, some will have pink hair and its just beautiful.
Amanda drew a female air glider with head to toe flags from around the world.
Nine students from across the state were given top honors in the 2013 art contest sponsored by the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics. The competition has taken place for more than 15 years, said Nicole Wiessinger, WisDOT aviation education coordinator. This is the first time that Portage students entered the contest, she said, and students winning from the same school is pretty rare.
Nine of Znidarsichs art students entered the contest, he said, and he thinks theres a shot at taking a national title.
I think we have the best chance because we have two from our school. When I look at what both ladies have accomplished, its high school art in the middle school level, he said.
Wiessinger is a 2004 graduate of Portage High School and sa! id she enjoyed hearing about the excitement.
It was fun to hear from the teachers and administrators about the first-hand excitement about the art contest, she said.
About 40 employees of the Wisconsin Bureau of Aeronautics voted on the anonymous artworks. The top three entries, in three age groups, will advance to the national Aviation Art Contest for judging in Washington, D.C.
We had 506 entries this year, which is a new record, Wiessinger said.
Last year, there were 439 entrants for the state contest, she said, and prior to that the average number of entrants was between 60 and 100.
Wisconsin students have placed in the nationals before, Wiessinger said, which will take place mid-March.
The Wisconsin artwork will be judged with entries from across the country in the three age groups. The first-, second- and third-place national winners, in each age group, will receive a certificate, ribbon and framed reproduction of their artwork. In addition, they will advance to the international competition for worldwide judging in Switzerland to receive gold, silver and bronze medals, Wiessinger said.
Regardless of the outcome, both Portage students have their future careers already sketched out. Ciara wants to be a marine biologist working with dolphins, and Amanda wants to be a cartoonist for TV.
They dont want to just do what I expect from them. They each go beyond what I expect, Znidarsich said.
Photos of the top nine entries can be viewed online at www.dot.wisconsin.gov under the travel/air tab.
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