Artists make their mark for Inkberry Books contest

Niwot's Inkberry Books put out a call in December for artists ages 13 and under to participate in the store's first bookmark design contest. The challenge was built around the theme of how books and bookstores impact their feelings.

"When we started this bookmark contest, we didn't realize there were so many talented, creative kids in the community, so we were really quite surprised with the entries we received," Inkberry Books co-owner, Gene Hayworth said.

The resulting artwork spoke well to the emotions that books bring about. A couple of pieces literally stated "I love reading" and "Bookstores are the best" while others featured drawings of people holding books.

Prizes were awarded on the sidewalk in front of Inkberry on Saturday, Jan. 30th. The warm sunny afternoon made for the perfect gathering where the top five contestants were each given a super-sized version of their bookmark illustration.

Out of the many entries submitted by children ages one to 11, local artists and contest judges Patrick Sullivan, Carolyn Bradley and Marian Hoffman-Ting chose Gil Gilmore (9) as the winner of the competition. His first prize creation was a double cascade of swirls, circles, and ovals.

Gilmore said planning for his winning piece revolved around the size of the bookmark, centering the circles, and giving thought to what colors he would use as they gradually blended with each other. Gilmore learned about the contest when he came into the store to purchase a book as a gift for his mother, Susan Gilmore, for the holidays..

Honorable mentions went to artwork created by Eamonn Brown (7) and Adam Raufman (7) who each received a copy of the classic children's book "Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear?" The third prize winner was Madeline Schaafsma (11) who was awarded a $10 Inkberry Books gift card, and second prize went to Jonas Humphrey (11) who received a $20 gift card. Gilmore was presented with a $40 gift card for the winning entry..

Hayworth said, "We've printed bookmarks featuring the first-place winner. They're free and when someone makes a purchase, they will automatically get one." The fresh off the press laminated bookmarks are now available at the store.

Following the presentation, a life-sized - human occupied, inflatable polar bear happened upon the scene just in time for hot chocolate, cookies, and the reading of the wintery book with his namesake.

Contest judge and landscape painter Bradley said of the event, "I'm so glad they did it just to get the kids involved and thinking about reading more. It was fun to see all of the different ideas."

Art is ever-present on the walls of Inkberry Books, with new featured artists each month. February's artist of the month is botanical illustrator Barbara McKee.