For nearly 40 years, the Marco Island Center for the Arts has held a competition for Collier County high school art students, where their submissions are put on display and judged by professional artists.
The executive director of the Center for the Arts, Hyla Crane, said the organization did not want the spread of COVID-19 to get in the way of this year’s competition, so they moved it online.
“And we’re already seeing a wonderful response from students who are excited, since they’ve been at home, to have the opportunity to have their work out there, to be seen, to share it with their friends, their family, a wider audience and we’re very excited about it,” Crane said.
This year’s competition winner will be chosen by popular vote, instead of judges. Submissions will be posted on the Marco Island Center for the Arts social media accounts, where people can vote for their favorite piece.
Crane said instead of this year’s competition submissions being displayed in the gallery, they will be compiled into a virtual art show.
“We will take all of the artwork and it will be developed into a video production that will be a show that we will then put up on our YouTube, so you’ll be able to look at the whole show,” Crane said.
Collier County high school students who want to participate can email up to two images of original art to Patricia@marcoislandart.org.
The Marco Island Center for the Arts will be accepting submissions for this year’s competition until April 30.
