SamTrans announced the winners of the fourth annual county-wide student art competition, Art Takes a Bus Ride, at its monthly board meeting today. The eight winning designs, which were selected from more than 200 entries submitted by students from kindergarten to eighth grade, were judged to best illustrate the theme “Go Green, Go SamTrans.”

The Art Bus has been wrapped in the colorful art work of the grand prize winning artist Kevin Huo from Audubon Elementary, Foster City. In addition to the larger-than-life exterior display, the winning entries of the other artists also are featured on ad cards inside SamTrans buses. The Art Bus will be used in regular service throughout San Mateo County.

SamTrans Board Chair Adrienne Tissier said, “The San Mateo County Transit District is encouraging people to make every day Earth Day by leaving the car in the garage and taking transit to work, school or other fun destinations. The winning student entries captured this theme well,” Tissier added.

Hou’s colorful portrayal of a “green” bus with people waiting for a ride with other energy conservation ideas to reduce our carbon footprint intrigued the judges. Huo’s art also will be used on a monthly bus pass.

One entry featured a SamTrans bus making friends with the planet, another demonstrated how riding the bus can reduce the carbon footprint of many cars, and one showed a girl at a bus stop thinking about how she is saving the planet by taking the bus. The young artists used a variety of media, including watercolor, acrylic paint, crayon and colored pencil.

The winners received a SamTrans Summer Youth MyPass, a certificate and a framed copy of the bus ad card that displays their art, as well as an assortment of art supplies.

SamTrans collaborated with the San Mateo County Office of Education on the project. Superintendent Jean Holbrook said, "Over 200 students participated in this year's Art Takes A Bus Ride competition co-sponsored by the San Mateo County Office of Education and SamTrans. I congratulate the students whose artwork was selected and all of the students who submitted their work for this competition. The art is an exemplary representation not only of the artists’ self-expression and hard work, but also of the support and encouragement of our schools, teachers and families."

On a typical weekday, close to 12,000 young people ride SamTrans buses. This is more than 25 percent of the district’s total ridership. In addition to a discounted youth fare, tokens and monthly youth pass, the district also encourages young people to ride the bus by offering a deeply discounted summer youth pass for riders 17 years old and younger.

Winning Entries

Grand Prize Winner

Kevin Huo – third grade
Audubon School, Foster City
Teacher: Ms. Gee

Grades K-1 Winning Entries

Ria Kolli – kindergarten
Nesbit Elementary, Belmont
Teacher: Ms. Richins

Jonard Millena & Angel Molina – first grade
Martin School, South San Francisco
Teacher: Ms. Dragan

Grades 2-3 Winning Entries

Sophie Srivastava – second grade
Central Elementary, Belmont
Teacher: Ms. Fields

Kevin Huo – third grade
Audubon School, Foster City
Teacher: Ms. Gee

Grades 4-5 Winning Entries

Natalie Baker – fifth grade
La Entrada School, Menlo Park
Teacher: Pat McGrath

Sabrina Mathews – fifth grade
La Entrada School, Menlo Park
Teacher: Ms. Ostrom

Grades 6-8 Winning Entries

Tiffany Yang – sixth grade
La Entrada School, Menlo Park
Teacher: Ms. Gregori

Riley Lico – sixth grade
La Entrada School, Menlo Park
Teacher: Ms. Gregori

06/12/08 - msk
Media Contact: Mary Knuckles, 650-508-6356