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February 11, 2016Reel Art contest winners announced

A student from West Columbia recently took top honors as the overall winner in South Carolina's 2016 Reel Art contest, a competition held annually by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources sponsored by Sportfish Restoration Funds and the Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund.

Entries were judged in Columbia at S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) headquarters on Feb. 8. Replicas of the winning artwork will be exhibited at the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition Feb.12-14 at Marion Square in Charleston and at the Palmetto Sportsmen's Classic March 18-20 at the State Fairgrounds in Columbia. Areli Peña of Brookland-Cayce High School received State Best of Show and a first-place award in the Grades 10-12 category for her depiction of a catfish, American toad and large leaved pondweed entitled "Nature's Cycle."

Contact Sarah Chabaane, DNR aquatic education coordinator, for more information on the annual contest at aquaticed@dnr.sc.gov.

Students from across the state submitted 502 entries to the South Carolina Reel Art competition for 2016. Awards were given in each of four class groups (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12), including one overall winner, a first place, second place, third place and five honorable mention ribbons for each class group. The overall winner is selected from among the four first-place winners representing all four groups.

The best of show winner's art teacher is Michelle Giovannone of Brookland-Cayce High School. Areli will be awarded art supplies and a ticket to see her artwork on display at the Palmetto Sportsman's Classic. Everyone who enters gets a certificate and art supplies.

Chabaane says the Reel Art contest is a conservation education program designed to give students in grades K-12 a chance to learn about the diverse aquatic animals and aquatic habitats that exist in South Carolina, while creating some extraordinary pieces of art.

2016 Reel Art Contest Top Placing Entries and Images

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