July 2007 | Alabama Living

Art is the creative interpretation of everyday life. Adults often forget that simple events are seen with more imagination and importance as a child. When a child expresses their life through story telling, writing or another art form, the innocence of their childhood is captured in a very colorful way.

The Chatom Women’s Club is cherishing the artwork of Chatom’s youth as they hold a Youth Art Competition each March for K-12 students in the Chatom schools.

The art competition categories are poetry and short story, photography and art created with variouskinds of media: paint, charcoal, paper, etc. Many teachers select a theme such as Mardi Gras, plants, or insects to help their students focus on one subject for their artwork.

All entries are showcased around the Washington County Library for the public to enjoy. Winners are selected by the Women’s Club, and a dinner is held to honor the artists. The overall winners are framed and permanently put on display in the library.

The Washington County Library is an excellent supporter for local artists, and they do many events involving the arts throughout the year. A display case inside the library is often filled with artwork or an art collection of people from in and around the county. Recent displays have been handmade needlepoint items and an impressive collection of Depression glass.

Clarke-Washington EMC has recently discovered the amount of artistic talent found just in our service area. We are proud to be part of such a talented community that promotes the arts.