VFW hosts art contest for high schoolers

TOWNSEND » Teens with artistic talent and a passion for patriotism have the opportunity to combine those two elements for one special event.

The VFW Auxiliary to Townsend Post 6538 is sponsoring the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest set to run through March. In

conjunction with the VFW Auxiliary Department of Massachusetts and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Auxiliary, the contest is looking for two-dimensional and three-dimensional art projects from local high school students expressing their patriotism.

The two-dimensional projects can be on paper or canvas using watercolor, pencil, oil or other media. Mounted and floating mats can also be used, though submissions should be no smaller than 8-by-10 inches but no larger than 18-by-24 inches.

Three-dimensional projects can be paper-mâché, fabric, metal, wood or other material. They should also be no larger than 18 inches in any direction or more than 5 pounds in

weight.

The Townsend post will award $50 to the first-place winner of the local contest, $30 to its second-place finisher and $20 to its third-place finalist.

The winning entry of the Townsend contest will then be entered into the VFW Auxiliary Department of Massachusetts competition where $200 will be awarded to the first-place winner and $100 will be given to the second-place finisher.

The state’s winning art piece will then be entered into the VFW’s national competition where the winners can win scholarships of $15,000 for first place, $7,500 for second place, $3,500 for third place, $1,500 each for fourth and fifth place and $500 each for sixth through tenth place. The first-place national winning art piece will be featured on the cover of the VFW Auxiliary Magazine and on the VFW Auxiliary

website. The top ten winning national entries and the artists’ comments on their entries will be featured in the VFW Auxiliary Magazine and on the website. All the state winning entries submitted into the national competition will be displayed at the VFW National Convention and on the VFW Auxiliary website.

The Townsend competition is open to all students in grades 9-12, either in public school or home school. Each entry should include a 250-word explanation of the patriotism shown in their work.

Those looking to participate should contact their high school art teachers or Betty Mae Tenney of the Townsend Auxiliary for more information about applying. Tenney can be reached by calling 978-597- 6495 or 978665-4026.

Each entry should be submitted to Tenney by March 31.