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Imagine A Day Without Water
2022 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest Winners!
Of the 248 poster entries received from youth in Charlottesville and Albemarle County, one winner was chosen from each of five grade divisions. In addition, the top 69 entries were available to the public to view online and vote for a favorite art entry; with 834 total online votes, a fan favorite was selected. All six winners will receive a $200 gift card and a water conservation goodie bag.
The winners for the 2022 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest are:
- K – 2nd Grade: Merrick Meslar, Murray Elementary School, Grade K
- 3rd – 4th Grade: Zaina Ornan, Free Union Country School, Grade 4
- 5th – 6th Grade: Olivia Rice, Stony Point Elementary School, Grade 5
- 7th – 8th Grade: Seamus Brown, Mountaintop Montessori, Grade 8
- 9th – 12th Grade: Shoukufeh Alizada, Charlottesville High School, Grade 9
- Fan Favorite: Kush Jani, Albemarle High School, Grade 12
In addition, teachers were encouraged to promote student participation, and four teachers were selected to receive a $200 gift card to be used for classroom projects: Ginnie Daugherty (Mountaintop Montessori), Teresa Sury (Charlottesville Day School), Jenny Canalichio (Stone-Robinson Elementary School), Allison Shields (Venable Elementary School).
Thank you to everyone that participated and supported the Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest!
Check out the City's special video honoring the Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest winners and participants.
K – 2nd Grade Winner: Merrick Meslar, Murray Elementary School, Grade K
3rd – 4th Grade Winner: Zaina Ornan, Free Union Country School, Grade 4
5th – 6th Grade Winner: Olivia Rice, Stony Point Elementary School, Grade 5
7th – 8th Grade Winner: Seamus Brown, Mountaintop Montessori, Grade 8
9th – 12th Grade Winner: Shoukufeh Alizada, Charlottesville High School, Grade 9
Fan Favorite Winner: Kush Jani, Albemarle High School, Grade 12
Could you go a day without water? No water to drink or use to make food. No water to shower, flush the toilet, or brush your teeth. Firefighters couldn’t put out fires, pools would be closed, and farmers couldn’t water their crops.
We are excited to announce that the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County Service Authority, and Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority are holding their 8th annual Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest. Each year, we ask youth to show us why we must value and save water in our community. This year’s art contest continues to allow for flexibility to ensure our entire community can participate in our contest and provide an opportunity for the youth in our community to learn and illustrate the importance of water.
The 2022 Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest asks youth to consider this year’s theme of “Value of Water” in their artistic creations. Art submissions will be accepted starting on September 28th in anticipation for the National Imagine a Day With(out) Water day on October 20th. The contest will be open to all youth in grades K – 12th living in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County. Submissions must be original, 2-D creations but can be any size and may include photography.
All Imagine a Day without Water art entries must be submitted by October 31st. Submissions will be accepted via direct mail to the Charlottesville’s Department of Public Works (305 4th St. NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903) or electronically through our submission and online voting platform. In addition, there is an opportunity to drop off entries in-person at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library’s Central, Northside, and Crozet Branches during their normal hours of service.
2021’s contest was a huge success bringing in 224 entries, and we are excited for increased participation this year. There will be cash prizes awarded to the finalists in different age categories and a fan favorite will be selected by the community (online voting available November 14th through 28th). Winners will be announced via press release on December 7th. Four teachers will also be honored for their support of the contest and campaign through a random drawing and the teacher that had the most students that participated.
We are excited to see the youth’s creativity and why or how they value water!
One important note this year is that the national Imagine a Day without Water campaign has been reframed to Imagine a Day With(out) Water. For many Americans living a day without water is a reality and not something they need to imagine. Whether it is a drought, contaminated water source, or inability to pay a water bill, access to safe, clean drinking water is unfortunately not something everyone can depend on. This year we join the national call to action for the need of sustainable, equitable, and safe drinking water for all. In Charlottesville, we can join this effort by valuing water and only using what we need.
You can learn more about the Value of Water Coalition and the National Imagine a Day without Water Campaign on their website.
2022 Theme: "Value of Water"
Important Dates:
Accepting Art Entries: September 28th - October 31st 5:00 PM
Fan Favorite Voting: November 14th - 28th 5:00 PM (LINK)
Winners Announced: December 7th- afternoon
Media Types Accepted:
- Multiple submissions are allowed! Make sure you convey the contest theme: "Value of Water".
- Entries must be the work of one individual youth, no collaborations.
- Any original 2-dimentional artwork or photography.
- Artwork can be any size and made with any type of medium.
- Suggested sizes for drawings: 11" x 8.5" (horizontal)
- Suggested sizes for photography: 4:3 ratio (horizonal)
How to Submit your Media? (note: we are no longer accepting entries)
- Digital Submission Option: Available starting September 28th - October 31st 5:00 PM ET
- Submit media using our Art Contest Platform Uploader Form. Files must be JPEG/JPG, PNG, or GIF image file types.
- Note: You can scan or take a picture of your entry; however, please note this could impact the quality of your entry. When taking a picture of the art entry, please do not include a person in the picture. It is best to take a picture of the art against a contrasting, flat, one colored surface as straight on as possible.
- Mail Option: Entries must be postmarked by October 31st. Official Entry Form (PDF) must be attached to each entry.
Water Conservation
Department of Public Works
305 4th Street NW
Charlottesville, VA 22903
- In Person: ONLY AVAILABLE JMRL Central, Northside, and Crozet Branch Libraries during their hours of service by October 31st. Official Entry Form (PDF) must be attached to each entry.
- Check their website for most up-to date hours of service.
Online Submission and Online Voting Website (Link)
Art Contest Flyer & Submission Form (PDF)
Art Contest Poster (PDF)
Contest Prizes
$200 Gift Card and Water Conservation Goodie Bags!
Youth Prizes
- K - 2nd Grade Top Entry
- 3rd - 4th Grade Top Entry
- 5th - 6th Grade Top Entry
- 7th - 8th Grade Top Entry
- 9th - 12th Grade Top Entry
- Fan Favorite (Voting Online from November 14th - 28th)
Teacher Prizes
Teachers that have their students participate with be eligible for prize. The more students that participate will increase the odds of the teacher winning!
- Most classroom submissions
- A random winner each from a CCS, ACPS, and a private school or organization
Previous Imagine a Day without Water Art Contest Winners
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2020 Fan Favorite Winner Vivian Foutz
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2020 1st – 2nd Grade Winner Ruihan (Jennifer) Xue
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2020 7th – 8th Grade Winner Shoukufeh Alizada
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2020 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Claudia Van Clief
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2016 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Jingyi Li
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2018 1st – 2nd Grade winner Ben O’Hare
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2021 K – 2nd Grade Winner Grant Smith
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2017 1st – 2nd Grade Winner Nathan Jordan
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2017 5th – 6th Grade Winner Annie Meng
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2016 Fan Favorite Winner ShiLu DeBerry
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2020 5th – 6th Grade Winner Ruby Reed Guy-Wolnick
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2016 5th – 6th Grade Winner Olivia Kim
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2019 1st – 2nd Grade Winner Lucy Sutton
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2015 1st – 2nd Grade Winner Harper Jewel Ullrich
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2018 7th and 8th Grade Winner Bryce Yates
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2017 7th – 8th Grade Winner Savannah Gale
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2015 7th – 8th Grade Winner Esther Juwon Lee
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2015 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Reese Coggeshall
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2021 7th – 8th Grade Winner Jane Friesen
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2019 7th – 8th Grade Winner Emily Zhu
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2016 7th – 8th Grade Winner Marco Lopez
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2021 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Ruby Buchanan
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2019 5th – 6th Grade Winner Beatrice Mitchell
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2019 Fan Favorite Winner Manan Jani
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2021 Fan Favorite Winner Leilani Durrette
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2017 Fan Favorite Winner Elisabeth Shin
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2015 Fan Favorite Winner Krishabh Ban
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2018 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Rowan Powell
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2018 Fan Favorite: Manan Jani, Agnor Hurt Elementary, Grade 5
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2019 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Timothy Choo
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2015 5th – 6th Grade Winner Phoebe V. Rebhorn
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2021 9th – 12th Grade Winner Isabella Sorrentio
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2021 5th – 6th Grade Winner Nora Neathery
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2018 5th – 6th Grade Winner Jamie Kwon
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2016 1st – 2nd Grade Winner Sarah Ni
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2017 3rd – 4th Grade Winner Sophie Rubin