Recently, time has flown by, but I suppose it’s a normality around this time of year. Seldom do we stop and think of how the days pass until an event reminds us just how fast the calendar days go by.

I stood before a number of art entries of various mediums: pastels, acrylic, crayon, marker and watercolor. It was then I was reminded of how fast time flies, this year marked four years which Calhoun Air Center hosts an aviation art contest. I look forward to this contest and frankly as do the pilots and aviators; this year’s theme was “My Favorite Air Sport.”

Currently there are eleven categories of air sports competitions: aerobatics, gliding, aeromodelling, hang gliding, paragliding, amateur built and experimental aircraft, astronautic records, microlight and paramotor, ballooning, parachuting, general aviation and rotorcraft.

We invited all students in Calhoun County to participate and received nearly three hundred entries. They are categorized into three age groups.

The entries were judged by the Port Lavaca Art Guild; winners were awarded ribbons and prizes such as art kits. The students look forward to winning the art kits and work diligently to refine their artwork. A handful of students have even work several years, for instance Drake Dyes of Travis Middle School who placed first last year and second this year. The art guild also enjoys judging the contest. They take into account the theme, composition, medium and creativity.

Following the local contest, Calhoun Air Center will submit all of the entries to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) International Aviation Art Contest. In addition, TxDOT sends each and every child a participation certificate to their school.

The winners of the TxDOT International Aviation Art Contest will be announced by February 2013; winning contestants along with their family and teacher are invited to TxDOT’s Texas Aviation banquet which will be held on May 13-15 at 6:30 pm at The Hilton Austin in downtown Austin, Texas. Following the state-level contest, winners will have their entries sent to be judged nationally.

Thus far we have had a winner at the state-level contest the past three years and can’t wait to hear this year’s results. The winning entries will appear in the 2014 TxDOT calendar.

As a graphic designer, this contest is very dear to me. Here’s to four years of aviation art! On behalf of myself and Calhoun Air Center; thank you to all of the students who participated, Calhoun County teachers, the Port Lavaca Art Guild, TxDOT Aviation Division.

Aviation Art Contest Winners

Category I – Age 6-9

First Place: Emme O’Donnel, HJM Elementary

Second Place: Meghan Sparks, HJM Elementary

Third Place: Stephanie Solis, HJM Elementary

Honorable Mention: Jessica Zhang, HJM Elementary

Honorable Mention:
Ariceli Granados, HJM Elementary

Category II – 10-13

First Place: Benito Cantu, Travis Middle School

Second Place: Drake Dyes, Travis Middle School

Third Place: Logan Evans, Travis Middle School

Honorable Mention: Gigi Cheng, HJM Elementary

Honorable Mention: Rocky Hernandez, Travis Middle School

Category III – 14-17

First Place: Moriah Guzman, Calhoun High School

Second Place: Jocelyn Garcia, Calhoun High School

Third Place : Kathleen Fullerton, Calhoun High School

Honorable Mention: Tristan Quintanilla, Calhoun High School

Honorable Mention: Wendy Hernandez, Travis Middle School