67th Otero Arts Festival Opens Tuesday, April 4

The 67th annual Otero Arts Festival is set for April 4 through April 6 at the Student Center Rizzuto Banquet Room on the Otero College campus. The Otero Arts Festival showcases creative writing, sculptures, pottery, paintings, drawings, and other works of art submitted by middle and high school students from throughout southeast Colorado.

Begun as an art contest for elementary and secondary school students 67 years ago, the Otero Arts Festival is the longest running event for public school students that is continuing to be sponsored by the college. Over the past several years, the writing and art contests have drawn over 2,000 entries annually. The entries are showcased in the Student Center Rizzuto Banquet Room, filling the entire room. Please note the change of location on campus for this year’s festival due to construction in the gym.

Over the years, judges have included outstanding professional artists, published authors, and art and creative writing professors from Colorado’s leading colleges and galleries.

Area students, grades 7-12, have entered the Otero Arts Festival this year. Entries for the art contest will be accepted on Friday March 31 from 1-5 pm at the Student Center Rizzuto Banquet Room on the Otero College campus. Students could enter one entry for each medium/technique with a maximum of six entries total per student. Judging will take place on Saturday, April 1 for visual arts.

Creative writing entries were accepted through March 3, sorted, logged, and sent to be judged by the Colorado State University Pueblo’s President’s Leadership/Honors Program in conjunction with their sponsor Dr. David Volk. All entries will be on display during the festival in the Reading Room.

The art and creative writing professionals who serve as jurors for the arts festival will award over 600 ribbons in the contest that annually draws entries from middle school and high school artists and writers throughout southeastern Colorado. They also choose the recipients of visual arts Best of Show High School and Middle School and Outstanding Senior Portfolio ribbons. Creative writing top awards include Judges Best Representative Work High School and Middle School and Outstanding Senior Creative Writing Portfolio.

Public viewing of the art show will begin on Tuesday April 4 at 8 a.m. The exhibit will remain open to the public April 4-6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then again at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The awards ceremony and reception will be held Thursday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Student Center, Conference Room 120, to recognize this year’s major ribbon winners. There is no cost for admission to the exhibit. The public is invited to visit the exhibit and view the outstanding work the students.