KMS student wins ‘Draw Outside of the Box’ contest

Mali Jones, a talented young artist from King Middle School, has won first place in OTTO Pizza’s “Draw Outside of the Box” contest. The winning design by Jones, a seventh-grader, will soon decorate thousands of OTTO Pizza boxes distributed throughout Maine and Massachusetts, providing patrons with a feast for their eyes along with their pizza.

“Way to go, Mali, we’re so excited to see this design on our boxes!” said Eric Shepherd, OTTO director of marketing and communication, in a recent blog post announcing the outcome of the contest: http://bit.ly/2ExHmfn.

Mali’s winning design was chosen from among 264 entries submitted by student artists in kindergarten through eighth grade. Mali was not the only King student to excel in the contest. King eighth-grader Mattea Lo-Sears took second place for her design, and seventh-grader Lilah Green took third place for hers. Mali, Mattea and Lilah won prizes that included pizza parties, gift certificates and art supplies from Portland-based Artist & Craftsman Supply.

In addition, King seventh-graders Hazel Johnson and Hannah Smart won honorable mention for their designs.

 “We also believe that King’s ‘hat trick’ here speaks to the school’s uniqueness and its national reputation as a pioneer in education,” Shepherd said. Great job, King.”

King Middle School is a high-achieving, highly diverse Expeditionary Learning public school that is at the forefront of national school reform.

The judge’s comments on Mali’s winning design – a pizza-shaped portrait of Portland, with “slices” showing different images of the city – included such phrases as: “entirely original,” “great use of two colors,” “very mature,” and “future graphic design star.”

The judges also praised the work of the other King students. They applauded Mattea’s second-place entry for its “gorgeous execution” and “captivating design qualities.” Lilah won praise for her strong “composition/design sense” in her third-place entry. Hannah’s entry was described as “beautifully stylized” and Hazel’s as “imaginative” and “very fun.”

“All of us (including everyone at OTTO, our panel of judges, and our customers) were completely blown away by the talent on display in each of the wonderful entries,” Shepherd wrote. “We all look forward to seeing each young artist nourish their talent and creativity, and share their art with their communities, and with the world.”

Rippleffect expands circle of influence

Rippleffect, a community-based youth development organization, last year successfully piloted a program at Casco Bay High School that teaches outdoor leadership and wilderness skills. Now, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the National Recreation Foundation, Rippleffect will be able to expand the Rippleffect Outdoor Leadership Education program to also include Deering and Portland high schools.

Rippleffect has also received a grant of $25,000 from the Quimby Family Foundation, a $7,500 grant from the Cohen Foundation, and a $10,000 grant from an anonymous donor that will be used to help Rippleffect offer the program at the middle and high school levels to local schools at no cost. Rippleffect strives to be a program of access to the outdoor experience for all Maine youth, and includes 18 weeks of wilderness guide training; eight expeditions; wilderness first aid certification; a professional guide course and canoe/kayak instructor training.

Vote for best of Black History Month art

The top 10 drawings from U.S. Cellular’s First Black History Month art competition with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine are now on display in area retail stores. Local community members are encouraged to visit the following local U.S. Cellular stores to vote on their favorite: Maine Mall, 364 Maine Mall Road, South Portland; 300 Gallery Boulevard, Scarborough; 11 Main St., Westbrook; and 11 Winners Circle, Topsham

In January, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine members created original artwork in recognition of influential African-Americans, including business people, sports figures, historical figures and celebrities. Those creations will be displayed in U.S. Cellular stores through Feb 28, and anyone 18 and older is eligible to vote. Three winners will be chosen based on the results in March and awarded gift cards in the amounts of $250 for first place, $150 for second and $100 for third place.

Portland history mural exhibit on display

The Sam L. Cohen Children’s Library has hung an exhibit of panels from a large-scale mural of Portland history created during one of many Side X Side programs being conducted in the Portland Public Schools this year.

Third-graders at Ocean Avenue Elementary School participated in a Side X Side mural/physical theater program based on their study of the history of Portland. Students began by using journals to capture their learning through writing, illustration and physical theater. They then projected selected illustrations and text onto mural boards to trace and paint. The resulting mural panels tell the stories of prominent figures in Portland history and will be hanging at the Library until March 10 before being installed permanently at Ocean Avenue Elementary School.

Through community partnerships with the University of Southern Maine, the Portland Public Schools, and local artists, professionals and colleges, Side X Side integrates science, technology, literacy and the humanities with the arts to enhance school curriculum.

Fourth- and fifth-graders from Portland’s Levey Day School joined Sen. Cathy Breen, D-Falmouth, as Senate pages on Feb. 1 in Augusta.

The winning design submitted by Mali Jones in an Otto pizza art contest features “slices” showing different images of Portland.

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