FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DECEMBER 7, 2022
2022 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 EIGHTH 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 the “Value of Water.” This year’s art contest continued to allow for flexibility to ensure our entire community can participate in the contest and accepted 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 248 poster entries received from youth in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, one winner was chosen from each of five grade divisions. In addition, the top 69 entries were available to the public to view online and vote for a favorite art entry; with 834 total online votes, a fan favorite was selected. All six winners will receive a $200 gift card and a water conservation goodie bag.
The winners for the 2022 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest are:
- K – 2nd Grade: Merrick Meslar, Murray Elementary School, Grade K
- 3rd – 4th Grade: Zaina Ornan, Free Union Country School, Grade 4
- 5th – 6th Grade: Olivia Rice, Stony Point Elementary School, Grade 5
- 7th – 8th Grade: Seamus Brown, Mountaintop Montessori, Grade 8
- 9th – 12th Grade: Shoukufeh Alizada, Charlottesville High School, Grade 9
- Fan Favorite: Kush Jani, Albemarle High School, Grade 12
In addition, teachers were encouraged to promote student participation, and four teachers were selected to receive a $200 gift card to be used for classroom projects: Ginnie Daugherty (Mountaintop Montessori), Teresa Sury (Charlottesville Day School), Jenny Canalichio (Stone-Robinson Elementary School), Allison Shields (Venable Elementary School).
Check out the City’s special video honoring the Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest winners and participants (LINK).
“Each year we are blown away by the creative talent of our community, and this year is no exception as the youth creatively showed us the value of water,” said Jill Greiner, the City’s Water Efficiency Program Coordinator. “We hope the community is inspired by these works of art to only use what they need and save water each day.”
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, as well as 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
2022 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest Winners
K – 2nd Grade Winner: Merrick Meslar, Murray Elementary School, Grade K
3rd – 4th Grade Winner: Zaina Ornan, Free Union Country School, Grade 4
5th – 6th Grade Winner: Olivia Rice, Stony Point Elementary School, Grade 5
7th – 8th Grade Winner: Seamus Brown, Mountaintop Montessori, Grade 8
9th – 12th Grade Winner: Shoukufeh Alizada, Charlottesville High School, Grade 9
Fan Favorite Winner: Kush Jani, Albemarle High School, Grade 12