By Kyra Williams
Staff Writer
The Neptunian Woman’s Club will host its 39th annual Neptunian Woman’s Art Contest and ceremony on Feb.26 at the Neptunian Woman’s Club.
Any students in Manhattan Beach from grades K-12 were able to submit art or photography to any of the Robinson, Pacific, Pennekamp, Meadows, Grandview, Manhattan Beach Middle School or Mira Costa school offices by the Feb. 10 deadline.
“The Neptunian Art Contest is a fantastic opportunity for all Manhattan Beach students to express their original art within their community,” Neptunian Woman’s Art Show Co-Chair Lorri Kampfner said. “It’s a great place for them to be able to exhibit or showcase their art.”
Photos: Manhattan Beach students participate in the Neptunian Woman’s Art Contest
There will be seven different judges, including Lee Tunila, Mike Gaines and Alyce Marie. The photography judges are professional photographers, including John Post, Benjamin Benoit, Kat Monk, and Eric Lukas.
“I think the Neptunian Woman’s Art Contest is a great opportunity for the students to display their talents and showcase it for the whole community to see,” Co-chair of the Neptunian Woman’s Art Contest Christine Cronin-Hurst.
First, the art pieces are chosen by a four members of the Neptunian Woman’s Club. Then, the same pieces go to the judges who then choose the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners. All participants will receive ribbons, and cash awards are given to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.
“I think the Neptunian Art Contest is fantastic and have told my students this. I went to Costa myself and entered the Neptunian art contests several times,” Mira Costa Art Teacher and Alumni Amber Dixon said. “I think their encouragement of the arts is wonderful, and I hope they know it really means a lot to the students who enter and get involved.”
Neptunian Woman’s Club Website
The Neptunian Women’s Art Contest has no theme. They chose to have no theme so students can feel free to display their artist abilities without any restrictions, according to Kampfner.
“I have tried to encourage my students to enter the contest, but feel not many take the chance. I have beginning classes, so I feel a lot of them aren’t confident enough to enter their work into a competition,” Mira Costa Art Teacher and Alumni Amber Dixon said. “I have offered extra credit to my Art 2 class if they enter, but refrain from ever making entering art contests mandatory, because once something is mandatory it can often take the fun out of it.”
Neptunian Woman’s Club Facebook Page
The Neptunian Art Contest encourages students to get involved in different kinds of art such as photography and painting. The women of the Neptunian Woman’s Club encourage art to be taught in schools everywhere, according to Kampfner.
“I absolutely believe that it is important that art is taught in schools,” Kampfner said. “Not everybody is going to be a mathematician or an economist or a historian so it’s important for the kids to be exposed to art whether or not they are going to follow it in their lives.”
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