OCEANSIDE–The Oceanside Arts Commission on June 27 announced the winners of the 2010 Banner Competition at the Hill Street Café and Gallery in downtown Oceanside.
This was the second year the Oceanside Arts Commission has put on this popular event. The competition was open to both professional and nonprofessional artists from San Diego County. A total of 13 entries were submitted.
Best of Show ($500) was awarded to “Take Pride in Oceanside” Imelda Arroyo’s banner promoting the importance of being environmentally conscious as a means of conserving Oceanside’s tranquil shores, for which it is well known. Ms. Arroyo’s banner depicted an Oceanside summer beach scene of a woman reclining on a purple beach towel admiring the ocean, a multicolored beach ball with the word “Recycle” and its symbol as a graphic, a boy holding a surfboard waiting to use it in the water, and above them, a small airplane displaying a banner stating “Take Pride in Oceanside”. In her artist statement, Ms. Arroyo observed that she was greatly influenced in using rich colors and the iconic black-outlined style of paintings from the Art Nouveau period because of the banner’s similar slim vertical dimensions.
2nd Place and a $250 prize went to local artist Joey Chavez whose banner “Adriana Two” was inspired by fond memories of strolling on the Oceanside beach with his wife. The third place prize of $100 was awarded to “The Monarchs Return” a “fun piece, loaded with color…” depiction of monarch butterflies by artist Cheryl Ehlers. Ms. Ehlers provides art instruction to 11 Oceanside Elementary Schools through her Stardust Arts program which was created from a Kenneth A. Picerne Foundation grant.
The banners will hang on exhibit on Coast Highway from Wisconsin Avenue north towards downtown from July 1 through October 1 and will be available for purchase thereafter. The public is encouraged to stroll along Coast Highway and view the banners.
