The Aquidneck Land Trust (“ALT”) announces the start of its annual Art & Writing Contest, a competition for local students to portray their favorite Aquidneck Island vistas. The contest seeks to promote the value of a healthy environment by encouraging students to create artwork and/or written essays or poems that express their appreciation of the island’s natural beauty. 

Winners are awarded cash prizes and the first-place winners’ schools also receive cash grants. 

The prompt for either art or written entries is the same: “What is your favorite Aquidneck Island vista? Show it as an artwork on paper or describe it in an essay or poem.”

Teachers are asked to submit entries in .pdf form, listing the student’s name, teacher’s name, school and grade for each. Submissions are due by email no later than noon on Friday, November 8. There are first-, second-, and third-prize awards for each of the three age categories: kindergarten–grade 4, grades 5-8, and grades 9-12. Student prizes range from $250 to $50. Two panels of judges will determine the winners, who will be invited to ALT’s annual meeting in February to receive their prizes. 

“The talent of our local students astonishes us every year,” said Chuck Allott, Executive Director at ALT. “It is such a joy to see and read about how much they treasure the trails, parks, beaches, and landscapes of their island home. This is exactly why we conserve land – so that the next generations will enjoy the same spectacular views that we do today.” 

The contest is sponsored by the design firm Sixteen on Center. More information may be found on ALT’s website, www.ailt.org/our-work/art-writing-contest/, or by calling ALT at 401-849-2799. 

Ryan Belmore is the Owner and Publisher of What'sUpNewp. Although not the founder or original owner, Belmore has been with What'sUpNewp since its early beginnings in 2012.

Belmore was born in Providence, Rhode Island; grew up and graduated high school in Coventry, Rhode Island; and lived in Newport, Rhode Island for more than ten years. He currently serves as Vice President of the Board Of Directors for Fort Adams Trust and on the Board of Directors for Potter League For Animals.

He and his wife, Jen, as well as their two dogs (Aero and June), recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia. Belmore travels back and forth to Newport every couple of weeks to cover events, work on story ideas, to meet with What'sUpNewp's on-the-ground contributors, to visit friends, and to eat as much seafood as possible.

Belmore is a member of Local Independent Online News Publishers, Society of Professional Journalists, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association.