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Posted on: December 11, 2024

[ARCHIVED] 2024 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest Winners Announced

2024 Imagine a Day without Water Winners Sq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2024

2024 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest Winners Announced

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The City of Charlottesville, the Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA), and the Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) partnered in their 10th annual "Imagine a Day without Water" campaign to educate and inspire the community about the value and importance of water. The goal of this campaign is to encourage water conservation in our everyday lives.

Imagine a Day without Water is a national education campaign and, locally, it raises public awareness through an art contest inviting youth from throughout the City and County to illustrate their “Drop in the Bucket.” This year’s art contest allowed for flexibility to ensure our entire community could participate in the contest by accepting traditional as well as digital submittals. Judges from the City, ACSA, and RWSA evaluated the artwork for creativity, originality, and incorporation of the contest’s theme. Of the 229 poster entries received from youth in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, one winner was chosen from each of five grade divisions and one winner was chosen for best photography. The top 75 entries were made available to the public for online viewing and voting of a favorite art entry. With 1,105 total online votes, a fan favorite was selected. All seven winners will receive a $200 gift card and a water conservation goodie bag.

The winners for the 2024 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest are:

K – 2nd Grade: Andrei Salerno, 2nd Grade, Mountainview Elementary School
3rd – 4th Grade: Nina Dunstan, 4th Grade, Mountaintop Montessori School
5th – 6th Grade: Polina Salerno, 6th Grade, Burley Middle School
7th – 8th Grade: Nadia Salazar Fraire, 8th Grade, Buford Middle School
9th – 12th Grade: Gale Harrison, 11^th Grade, Monticello High School
Best Photography: Ezra Bahr, 1^st Grade, Johnson Elementary School
Fan Favorite: Myra Gautam, 5^th Grade, Baker Butler Elementary School

Teachers were encouraged to promote student participation, and four teachers were selected to receive a $200 gift card to be used for classroom projects: Jeannette Stott (Monticello High School), Lynne Herman (Greenbrier Elementary School), Ophelia Wild (Mountaintop Montessori, had the most submissions), and Kim Taylor (Village School).

Check out the City’s special video honoring the Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest winners and participants (LINK).

“This year’s theme focuses on how each small action to save water can still have a big impact when we collect everyone’s actions together,” said Jill Greiner, the City’s Water Efficiency Program Coordinator. “We hope everyone in the community continues to work together to save water and make sure every drop counts.”

In addition to the art contest, the campaign provides awareness and useful information on how to conserve water. The City and ACSA offer rebates for installing WaterSense-labeled toilets and rain barrels and offer water-saving devices available for pick up at their respective offices. Additionally, they stress the importance of finding and fixing leaks in homes, as even a small drip can waste 3,000 gallons of water each year.

For more information about the Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest including full contest rules and official entry form, visit www.charlottesville.gov/artcontest.
More background information about the Imagine a Day without Water campaign can be found here: http://imagineadaywithoutwater.org.

Media Contact
Jill Greiner
Water Efficiency Program Coordinator
City of Charlottesville
434-970-3877
greinerj@charlottesville.gov