Feb. 28, 2009 – In an on-going effort to help raise awareness about the impact of gun violence in the U.S. Virgin Islands, nine students were selected as finalists for the "Draw Against Gun Violence II" poster contest for 2009. "This year, we received 353 entries which is a 45 percent increase from last year," said Lou Lambert, media outreach chairman for Project Safe Neighborhoods, U.S.V.I. "The judges were taken to task not only by the number of entries received throughout the territory but also by the creativity displayed."
In its effort to create an environment that improves the safety and security of all Virgin Islanders, Project Safe Neighborhoods encouraged students registered in grades 1-12 to submit original works of art that contains a message against gun crime — for example, "hard time for gun crime," "stop gun violence," "put the guns down," "federal time for gun crime" or a similar message.
The poster art consisted of drawings, paintings or computer graphics done within school art programs or on a student's own. The finalists were judged on originality, creativity, concept and layout. The judging was made up from members of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the V.I. Council on the Arts and the American Advertising Federation of the Virgin Islands. Nine winners were chosen: three from elementary school, grades 1-5; three in middle school, grades 6-8; and three in high school, grades 9-12.
The first 100 entrants will receive a PSN backpack and winners will receive a PSN backpack plus an Apple Ipod Touch valued at approximately $300. All entries of artwork will be put on display on St. Thomas at the V.I. Council of the Arts beginning March 7, followed by a showing on St. Croix at the Caribbean Museum for the Arts. The nine finalists will have their work duplicated and mass-produced for display in offices, schools and public outlets throughout the U.S.V.I., and the posters will be forwarded to Project Safe Neighborhoods headquarters in Washington, D.C.
For more information, logon to www.drawagainstgunviolence.com or www.psnvi.com
