OLI Gardens to host 'Selfless' high school art viewing March 4

OLI Gardens, a nonprofit committed to creating sustainable solutions to help eliminate food insecurity in local communities, will be hosting a gallery viewing and reception on Saturday, March 4, to celebrate the high school artists who participated in the "Selfless" art competition.

The competition, which was open to high school students in Aurora, Joliet, and Naperville, aimed to raise awareness about the issue of food insecurity in their communities.

The viewing will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Naperville 95th Street Library, 3015 Cedar Glade Drive.

It will feature the artwork of the high school students who participated in the art competition.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view the artwork and meet the artists, their families, art teachers, and dignitaries who supported the event.

"We are excited to celebrate the talents of these young artists who have shown us their interpretation of the theme 'selflessness' through their artwork," said Fred Greenwood for OLI Gardens. "Their work is a testament to the creativity and compassion of our future leaders and we are honored to have had the opportunity to showcase their talent."

During the viewing, OLI Gardens will award cash prizes to the winners of the competition.

The first-place prize, with a cash prize of $1,000, will be awarded in honor and memory of U.S. Army Private First Class Gunnar Hotchkin, a Naperville soldier who was killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2010.

Second- and third-place prizes, with cash prizes of $500 and $250, respectively, will be awarded in honor and memory of Illinois Army National Guard Sgt. Joshua W. Harris, a Romeoville soldier killed by an IED in Afghanistan in 2008, and U.S. Army Major Paul Syverson, an Arlington Heights native who was killed during a 2004 mortar attack in Iraq.

Honorable mentions will also be recognized.

In addition, all art entries for the competition will be photographed to be displayed on OLI garden boxes in the community.

Produce from these gardens will be donated to local food pantries, in support of OLI Gardens' mission to create sustainable solutions to help eliminate food insecurity in our communities.

The "Selfless" art competition and viewing are sponsored by OLI Gardens.

For more information about OLI Gardens and their mission, visit oligardens.org.