Cash Awards to Oil Drum Artists at Nest Open Studios

An awards ceremony is taking place for winners of a contest aimed at beautifying Bridgeport.

Bridgeport, CT (PRWEB) May 5, 2007 -- Matthew Hallock of The Voice will present $1,000.00 in prize money to the Bridgeport Trash Drum Artists who created 38 drum artworks for Jack Lardis of Oil Drum Art last year. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 5th between 2 to 4-PM in the third floor art gallery of the Nest Arts Factory, 512 Hancock Street in Bridgeport. A light buffet and refreshments will be offered to the guests.

"This is a Double Event," explains David Flynn, Executive Director of the Nest. "This is our Spring Nest Open Studios, with 40 artists exhibiting. Plus, there's this major awards ceremony for the 35 local artists who created trash drums that are also public art." The Voice is donating $1,000 in prize money to the artists who created the best oil drum paintings, as deemed by an independent panel. Hallock said, "This donation is to reward the creativity of the artists who contributed their artworks to help beautify Bridgeport's neighborhoods."

Members of the Bridgeport City Council have been very supportive of the trash drum program and will review painted artworks by local artists at the Nest Arts Factory during the Open Studios on May 4th, 5th and 6th. City Council President Andres Ayala, Jr. (D) of 137th District and Majority Leader Richard Paoletto of the 138th District were enthusiastic about the drums when they were on display at City Hall last winter to collect food for the Bridgeport Rescue Mission and Veterans Services. The pieces were part of the "Beautification Of Bridgeport" program that Mayor Fabrizi recommended during the launch of the program in 2005.

Mr. George Estrada, Director of Public Facilities, and Andy Valeri, Manager of the Parks Department, plan on attending the Awards Ceremony at the Nest because they have plans to deploy the attractive trash drums in city parks. Three drum artworks created by The Voice designers -- Greg Tsialas, Mike Alcutt and Gene Bachman -- will be on display in McLevy Park in historic downtown Bridgeport. "These attractive trash drums stand out on the streets in a positive way," observes Mr. Lardis, president and founder of Trash Drum Art. Oil Drum Art is donating four drums for Seaside Park and hope the Bridgeport business community will sponsor the remainder of the drums to help keep the park clean of refuse and litter.

A similar Trash Drum Art program has already spread throughout the Waterbury business district and local parks with drums painted by more than 400 K-12 students in the Waterbury school system. Although the program was first introduced in Bridgeport in August 2005, the city of Waterbury executed the concept through public schools and deployed the drum artworks in 2006 at their city hall, library, Bunker Hill Park and downtown establishments.

The schedule for the Open Studios and the Trash Drum Art Awards Ceremony is: Friday, May 4th, 7.30-10PM (1st and 3rd floors); Saturday, May 5th and Sunday, May 6, 12-6PM (3rd floor). The Awards Ceremony is Saturday at 3PM. A music & dance performance will be 7-11PM .

Directions: I-95 South to exit 26 - Wordin Street. Straight through the traffic light on Cherry Street parallel to I-95. The second stop sign turn right on Hancock Street and park. Enter 512 Hancock Street and come to the third floor.

For more information about the weekend and awards ceremony please go to NESTARTSFACTORY.COM.

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