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Children's Museum Of Pittsburgh Hosts U.N. Young Environmental Artists Competition
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Sylvia Gong, an eighth grader at Hopkins Junior High School in Fremont, Calif., received the top North American prize in the United Nations Environment Programme's 19th annual International Children's Painting Competition. Her painting addresses the theme, "Biodiversity – Connecting with Nature." Also honored at the Pittsburgh exhibition were second place winner Angela Feng Xiao Ya Wei, a fourth grader at Parkwood Hills Elementary School in Ottawa, Ontario, and "Best in Pittsburgh" winner, Scott Robert Kerner, a sixth grader at McMurray Elementary School in McMurray, Pa.
Gong was honored at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh as Bayer Corporation and UNEP unveiled the 2010 ICPC Exhibition to herald World Environment Day celebrations in Pittsburgh, this year's North American host city.
Her first place award included a $1,000 cash prize and an all-expense paid trip for her and a chaperone to UNEP's TUNZA International Children's Conference in Nagoya, Japan, in October. While there, she will join the first place winners from UNEP's six global regions. This year, nearly 1.1 million paintings from 88 countries were received.
The ICPC is a signature event of UNEP's annual World Environment Day celebrations. The painting competition is sponsored globally by Bayer AG and regionally in North America by Bayer Corporation. The ICPC Exhibition at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is part of Bayer's sponsorship of the World Environment Day Youth Programs in Pittsburgh.
The 77-picture exhibition features the three winning paintings, including Gong's portrayal of a tiger grieving over a world where human activities are depleting resources. The winning paintings, on display through August 1, were selected from 945 submissions received from 17 U.S. states and five Canadian provinces.
"Bayer's partnership with UNEP is a cornerstone of our commitment to social responsibility and environmental stewardship," said Greg Babe, Bayer Corporation President and CEO and Co-Chair of the 2010 World Environment Day Steering Committee in Pittsburgh. "The ICPC fosters the next generation of environmental stewards and socially responsible citizens by inspiring children to express their environmental concerns through art."
In North America, Bayer Corporation's partnership with UNEP Regional Office for North America is bringing ICPC to communities across the U.S. where Bayer, through its Making Science Make Sense program, has partnerships with local school districts.
"Our partnership with Bayer Corporation is helping us provide students with a way to learn about the environmental issues facing the world, and to communicate powerful environmental messages through their artwork," said Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP RONA.
"The Children's Museum of Pittsburgh is honored to host this exhibition and be involved in the events surrounding World Environment Day," said Jane Werner, Executive Director, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh. "We hope that this exhibition helps families continue to become more environmentally aware through the unique medium of painting and creative expression, just as we strive for this goal through other programs and policies here at the Children's Museum."
Established in 1991 and organized annually by partners UNEP, Bayer AG, Nikon and the Foundation for Global Peace and the Environment, the ICPC invites elementary and middle school students, ages six to 14, to learn about the environment and express that knowledge creatively through art. Regional winners are selected from UNEP's six regions including North America; Africa; Asia and the Pacific; West Asia; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Europe. They are announced during the six-week period between Earth Day in April and World Environment Day on June 5.
According to Tomoko Yano, Secretary General, Foundation for Global Peace and Environment, "children's artworks attract us with their cheerful expression of the beauty of nature and ecosystems. On the other hand, they show the suffering of creatures living in a polluted sea or a depleting forest, illustrating the crisis of biodiversity. We hope their works will impact more people around the world, and encourage them to take actions so future generations can live in harmony together on the one and only planet Earth."
Water Treated To Counteract Health Risks In Western PA Related Story Pittsburgh Hosts World Environment Day June 5, Follow The Events Online
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6/7/2010 |
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