This spring, the Students of the Water Institute Graduate Section, SWIGS, opened their 2021 Water and You art contest to students in grades 4 to 7 in schools in Waterloo Region. The goal of the contest was to provide students with an opportunity to learn about water-related issues while expressing their creativity by creating original artwork that directly relates to a current water issue here in Canada or globally. This year's theme was WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene).
Over 50 pieces of art were submitted and the winning submissions were announced in June. The winning art works and their descriptions are:
1st Place Winners
Art By Zoe
"My
family
and
I
always
go
to
the
beach
in
the
summer.
I
remember
the
beautiful
clear
water.
The
smell
of
the
water
breeze,
wind
whipping
through
my
hair.
But
there
are
some
beaches
we
went
to
that
weren't
so
beautiful.
Garbage
was
piled
high,
plastic
bottles
bobbing
up
and
down,
and
bags
strewn
all
over
the
place.
I
was
so
disappointed
one
time
we
went
to
the
beach
and
saw
pollution
everywhere.
I
created
my
piece
of
art
to
show
how
our
wildlife
feels.
Drowning,
being
strangled,
not
knowing
what's
food
and
what's
garbage.
We
could
have
lived
a
life
with
clean,
fresh
water.
We
could
have
lived
a
life
where
fish
swam
freely
and
plants
grew
openly.
But
we
didn't
change
in
time.
I
want
to
inspire
people
before
it's
too
late.
We
need
to
change.
And
we
need
everyone
to
do
that
with
us.
"
Art By Tara
"Hello,
I
am
Tara.
I
drew
an
unhappy
girl
in
poor
water
conditions
with
unclean
rivers,
dirty
brownish
water
from
sinks,
dirty
laundry
clothes
hung
up,
lots
of
pollution,
and
acid
rain.
She
dreams
of
a
place
with
clean
and
healthy
water
and
imagines
a
beautiful
World
with
no
pollution
and
clean
rivers
around
her.
There
are
many
children
in
the
World
like
the
unhappy
girl
are
not
at
able
to
wash
their
hands
and
drink
healthy
water.
During
COVID19
we
realized
how
important
clean
water
is.
We
have
to
wash
our
hands
several
times
a
day.
Unfortunately,
a
lot
of
people
and
factories
pollute
the
water
by
throwing
garbage,
waste
and
chemicals
in
rivers
and
oceans
which
is
hurting
the
fish
and
the
sea
life.
I
think
we
all
shouldn’t
pollute
and
waste
the
water
so
our
World
can
be
as
beautiful
as
the
place
the
unhappy
girl
was
dreaming
of.
If
we
pollute
the
water
on
earth
where
else
can
we
go?
"
2nd Place Winner
Art by Serena
"My
art
work
shows
a
vacuum
sucking
all
the
bad
dirty
water
and
the
stuff
in
the
bad
water
and
then
pouring
fresh
clean
water
for
everyone
on
earth."
3rd Place Winners
Art by Samya
"Time
has
halted
Land has faulted,
Shall this not pass.
Treasures have been lost
Feathers have been tossed,
Shall this ever pass.
Hope is the only hope
To let our souls cope,
Soon everything will mend
But shall this ever end." - Samya Singh
"I wrote this poem to justify my artwork. Everyday is full sadness and uncertainty. It feels like a natural force is pushing down on you. It's the emotions like loneliness that you just can’t seem to shade. Surrounded by walls all the time can be very depressing. But this quarantine I focused on the concept of finding good in everything. I realized how lucky I was to have a home to live in, food to eat, internet to communicate and most importantly water to drink. And that's what my art is inspired by. My art is inspired by the people who walk miles everyday to get water for their family. How even during this pandemic they have to risk their lives to go get something as important as water."
Art by Samaria
-
Thank you to everyone who submitted art and congratuations to the winners. To learn more about the contest visit the contest site.
A selection of the participating art was showcased on World Water Day 2021 through the social media outlets of SWIGS and the Water Institute. Watch the video below for a selection of submissions to the contest.