- Abigail Beharrell, 3rd grader at Blue Ridge
- Anabella Cabrera, kindergartener at Jack Northrop
- Isabelle DeFrancis, 9th grader at Highland High
- Charlotte Estrada, 6th grader at Sundown Elementary
- Kaitlyn Gardiner, 4th grader at Desert Christian
- Isabella Gonzalez, 4th grader at West Wind Elementary
- Camryn Large, 5th grader at Desert Christian
- Melanie Martinez-Canales,12th grader at Lancaster High
- Aubrey Mendoza, 8th grader at Desert Christian
- Jude Middleton, 7th grader at Amargosa Creek Middle
- Amelia Rosales, 5th grader at Nancy Cory Elementary
- Zoe Sarver, 2nd grader at Desert Christian
- Michael Simmons, 4th grader at Lincoln Elementary
- Taylor Smith, 4th grader at West Wind Elementary
- Josette Thomas, 6th grader at Bethel Christian
- Charlotte Watson, 1st grader at Desert Christian
“I joined the SEE AND BE SEEN contest because I wanted to be a part of the community and have my art displayed,” said winning artist Aubrey Mendoza.
“I like going on long walks. My artwork was about eye contact, so that people can know that when you’re going on a walk, make sure you look left and right four to five times,” said 7-year-old winning artist Charlotte Watson. When asked what she would share with other students who may walk or ride their bikes around the city, Charlotte said, “Watch where you’re going … I tripped today and want to make sure you don’t trip too.”
This year’s SEE AND BE SEEN art contest ran from Oct. 7 to Dec. 4, 2020, and Lancaster students in grades K-12 were invited to participate. Students were required to choose one of the four SEE AND BE SEEN safety messages as inspiration for their creation:
- Make Eye Contact
- Eyes Up, Phone Down
- Ride Right In The Bike Lane
- Keep In Mind, Walk Between The Lines
This art contest is part of Lancaster’s SEE AND BE SEEN Active Transportation Safety and Healthy Living program that the California Office of Traffic Safety helped establish through a grant funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The objective of the SEE AND BE SEEN program is to instigate generational behavior change that will ultimately improve Lancaster’s crash statistics, especially for children and older adults.
“I am so proud of all the talented, young artists who submitted entries for this year’s contest, and I want to thank each of them for their participation,” said Lancaster City Councilmember Raj Mahli. “These artists are helping to spread the word about the importance of active transportation safety in our community.”
For more information and additional opportunities to participate in the city’s SEE AND BE SEEN program, visit www.cityoflancasterca.org/seeandbeseen.
[Information via news release from the city of Lancaster.]
–