Energizing creative expression among Indiana students
Since 1998, Indiana Connection and participating Indiana electric cooperatives have held an annual art contest for Indiana students in grades kindergarten through 12. The winning works from each grade are then used to illustrate the Cooperative Calendar of Student Art that participating REMCs/RECs have distributed. Each of the numbered grades is given the corresponding month of the year to illustrate: 12 grades, 12 months. It’s a perfect combination. Kindergartners are assigned the cover each year. The calendar is localized by the participating cooperatives to provide important information to consumers such as billing and annual meeting dates, phone numbers and electrical safety and energy efficiency information. The calendar helps co-ops meet one of the 7 cooperative principles — member information and education. In addition, by being illustrated with student art, the calendar helps fulfill another of the 7 principles — commitment to community. As more art programs in schools face budgetary challenges, Indiana Connection believes encouraging the arts — the imagination, self-expression and creativity these disciplines stimulate — is vital to society. Not only do the arts produce aesthetic beauty and entertainment for our hearts and souls, studies after study show the arts play a key role alongside science, technology, engineering and math in producing the minds of well-rounded, problem-solving, thoughtful individuals needed to lead and run our modern, high-tech world.
Congratulations to our 2020 Winners!
Here are the students who will be gracing the pages of our 2020 Cooperative Calendar of Student Art.
Grade Division winners ($200)
Kindergarten: Charles Quakenbush, Cicero, IN
First Grade: George Quakenbush, Cicero, IN
Second: Abby Porter, Greensburg, IN
Third Grade: Rileigh Hash, Greensburg, IN
Fourth Grade: Oliver Lanam, Seymour, IN
Fifth Grade: Ashelyn Evans, Winamac, IN
Sixth Grade: Naomi Kujak, Fort Wayne, IN
Seventh Grade: Addysen Standish, Kentland, IN
Eighth Grade: Andrew Zink, Winona Lake, IN
Ninth Grade: Morgan Dyck, South Whitley, IN
10th Grade: Danielle Sommerman, English, IN
11th Grade: Evan Olinger, Sellersburg, IN
12th Grade: Lexi Harford, Shelbyville IN
Artist of the Year: Danielle Sommerman $100 additional
Honorable Mention winners ($75)
11th Grade: Trinity Hess, North Liberty, IN
10th Grade: Erin Starkweather, South Whitley, IN
Ninth Grade: Adalia Knakiewicz, Morocco, IN
Ninth Grade: Clare Kramer, New Salisbury, IN
Eighth Grade: Mia Fang, West Lafayette, IN
Fourth Grade: Addie Otte, Crothersville, IN
Third Grade: David White, Medora, IN
Second Grade: Phil Carnes, Warsaw, IN
Kindergarten: Lucy O’Bryan, West Lafayette, IN