Sister Cities Commission to name winners of Young Artists Showcase

The winners of this year's annual Young Artists Showcase, a competition sponsored by Mayor A. George Pradel and the Naperville Sister Cities Commission, will be announced at a public ceremony taking place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 26, at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street. Judges will select a top winner and four finalists from among 35 entries. The artwork was created by Naperville residents as well as Naperville Community School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204 students between 13 and 18 years of age.

This year's theme is “Shaping Your Community for a Greener Future.” The finalist will have his or her artwork submitted to Sister Cities International for national, and potentially international, recognition. The environmentally focused theme provided Naperville teenagers the opportunity to celebrate the uniqueness of Naperville while sharing their vision of a greener future through artistic interpretation

This year's competition entries are on display at the Naperville Municipal Center through Friday, April 1. Entrants were asked to use recycled material or other two-dimensional media to illustrate the ways they, their community or their community's Sister City are working to protect the local environment.

Judges for this year's contest are Debbie Venezia, executive director of the Naperville Art League, and Robert Fritz, College of DuPage instructor.

For more than two decades, the Sister Cities International Young Artists Showcase has encouraged teenagers around the world to express themselves through artistic interpretation. For more information on the Sister Cities Commission, visit www.naperville.il.us/sistercities.aspx. For more information on the City of Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us. Sign up to receive the latest news on the City of Naperville's projects and initiatives via e-mail at www.naperville.il.us/enews.aspx.