Public Works

News

February 25, 2008

artwork

Students at J.E. Moss Elementary School learn about how recycling helps protect the environment while viewing artwork displayed on city waste trucks. The art was created by Moss students Luis Cruz and Dunya Aldaraji.

WASTE TRUCKS DISPLAYING STUDENT ARTWORK BEGIN METRO SCHOOL VISITS

Nashville, TN – A fleet of city waste trucks displaying artwork created by 3rd and 4th graders will be visiting Metro Public schools between now and the end of the school year.

The student artwork is from Metro’s second Beautiful Nashville Art Contest, designed to encourage students to care for the community environment and to express that commitment creatively through art.

The visits will occur on Mondays at schools that participated in this year’s contest. Student artists and their classmates get to view the artwork on the trucks, and learn about the importance of recycling and protecting the environment. Events take place during lunch hours so school schedules are not interrupted.

4th grader

L-R, Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite, Una 4th grader Ben Phosareth, Councilman Duane Dominy, MNPS Board Member Karen Johnson, and Una Asst. Principal Terrance Haynes.

3rd grader

Mt. View 3rd grader Fresia Garcia and her winning artwork on a Red River truck.

More than 2,000 students participated when the first visits took place February 25 at Una, J.E. Moss and Mt. View elementary schools. Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite (who came up with the original idea of the school visits), Coucilman Duane Dominy, and Metro Nashville Public School Board Member Karen Johnson attended the Una Elementary event. This year’s 1st Place Grand Prize Winner is Una 4th grader Ben Phosareth.

The 2nd Place Grand Prize Winner was Samson Gaynon, a 4th grader at Bordeaux Elementary, and 3rd Place went to another 4th grader, Nailah Raab of Gower Elementary.

In addition, the art departments at each grand prize winner’s school received cash awards of $1500, $1000 and $500, respectively.

A total of 61 winning contest entries were submitted by 31 Metro public elementary schools. Two of the top three winners were featured in the Nashville Gas Christmas Parade on December 7, and Mayor Karl Dean hosted a public viewing of trucks displaying all the winning artwork on December 8 at LP Field.

The Beautiful Nashville Art Contest is sponsored by Public Works, Metro Nashville Public Schools and Red River Service Corporation, Nashville’s largest waste collection service provider.