When we put out the call for kids to draw Nora, the famous polar bear who lived at the Oregon Zoo for a year, we weren't sure what we'd get. Ten entries? Twenty? One hundred?
Turns out we got about 300 unbearably cute drawings from kids all over Oregon, and one of them is the grand prize winner of an iPad. Other kids are winning Oregon Zoo passes and gift cards.
A few staff members at The Oregonian/OregonLive got together to judge the entries in three age categories. The youngest artists -- ages 3 to 5 -- offered some adorable drawings, plus short essays that came with equally adorable suggestions for saving polar bears. Four-year-old Estella, for instance, came up with this: "I would say to the mean guys, "No! You can't do that. It's not allowed. Those polar bears are in danger!" If only most things in life were that easy, Estella, the world would surely be a better place.
The middle age category -- 6- to 8-year-olds -- was the most difficult to judge because it included more than 120 entries and many of them showed tremendous creativity in the drawings, along with real thought put into the essay about how to save the Arctic bears.
The oldest entrants -- ages 9 and 10 -- were the most skilled, as was to be expected. We were impressed by how many of them had paid attention to the story about Nora -- a five-part series that published on OregonLive and in The Oregonian in October called "The Loneliest Polar Bear." Many of the kids shared sophisticated ideas for saving the Arctic and combating global warming.
Needless to say, judging wasn't easy. But we came up with a group of winners who truly clawed their way to the top. The winners will receive a family pass to the Oregon Zoo (value $169) for first place in each age category; four tickets to the Oregon Zoo and $25 gift card at the zoo gift store (second place in each group); or a $50 gift card for Powell's (third place). An iPad will be awarded to the winner of the "Best in Show" designation, which goes to the single best entry chosen among all age categories.
Here are the winners for every age category, including the grand prize winner.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Leah Polen, age 6
Sweet Home
Essay: I would turn lights off when I leave a room. Unplug what I don't use. I ride my bike to help stop pollution. Plant a garden and eat less meat. Support or donate money or time to a group that helps polar bears and other animals. Eat less fish so the polar bears could eat more fish.
The judges said: The color palette was exceptional, along with the use of shadow and light. Leah wrote her own essay in her own handwriting. It showed initiative and creativity. She best captured Nora's free-spirited nature.
AGES 3-5
First place
Samuel Peck, age 3
West Linn
Essay: "Nora lives where it is cold. Nora plays with a ball. Keep it cold to save Nora."
The judges said: Samuel showed great creativity in using a non-traditional medium. Of all the bear drawings, this one was the most huggable.
Second place
Zoe Mears, age 5
Portland
Essay: "Carpool to help with global warming."
Judges said: Zoe used bright colors, which caught our attention. It really mirrored Nora's energy.
Third place
Harper Abernathy, age 4
Tualatin
Essay: "We can open curtains and use sunlight and turn off inside lights. Ride in cars with friends instead of alone. Recycle cans and yogurt containers."
The judges said: We love the details. The traffic cone really adds authenticity to the drawing. She has some great ideas that will help polar bears. Harper's message about recycling is one we should all embrace.
AGES 6-8
First place
Beatrix Avery, age 8
Portland
Essay: "Is there a reason why you like polar bears? I like them because they are cute and it's amazing they can survive in such cold water!
"One way we can help polar bears is to stop polluting because if we keep polluting, the icebergs they are living on will melt, and they would sadly die.
"Another way that we can help stop polluting is to ride bikes, stop driving, plant trees and recycle."
The judges said: The use of shading and reflection was impressive. I feel like the reflection of Nora speaks to bigger themes in the story. There is a level of realism that few of our young artists came close to.
Second place
Claire Lavenue, age 8
Portland
Essay: "I will turn the lights off when I leave a room and I will eat less meat too. What I already do is take the bus to school and help my mom with our own garden growing vegetables that we eat. Also, I will talk to other people about how they can help polar bears living in the wild. And last but not least, I will ask both my parents to turn down the heat!"
The judges said: This one had my favorite expression on Nora's face. It really captured her inquisitive nature.
Third place
Felix Streu, age 7
Portland
Essay: "The polar bears are in danger because pollution is making the earth warmer and this is hurting their habitats. We can help make less pollution by buying less new things. We can also help by reusing things. Every time we buy new things, we use natural resources and make global warming worse."
The judges said: Felix played with the medium to create interesting shadows and textures. Felix's creativity is off the charts.
AGES 9-10
First place
Jimin Lee, age 10
Portland
Essay: To save polar bears and their habitats, I will try to be more efficient in using electricity. For instance, I will turn off the lights when not needed, turn off all electronics when not in use, biking and walking as much as possible instead of driving, not wasting any water by taking shorter showers, turn off the faucet while brushing my teeth, etc. Also, I will ask my parents to change our home into a green-powered home, such as installing solar panels to generate our own electricity.
In addition, I will encourage my friends at school to help make the earth a much cleaner and greener place.
I believe that all this will help prevent global warming, that will stop the polar bears' habitat from melting.
The judges said: This is impressive all around. Jimin clearly spent a lot of time and effort on this picture and gave it much thought. Jimin has a future as an artist. The essay showed a clear understanding of the Project Nora story and what needs to happen for polar bears to survive.
Second place
Molly Hughart, age 9
Tigard
Essay: I am going to try and save polar bears. I will dry my hair with a towel instead of a hair dryer. I will also walk to swimming instead of using a car. I will not turn on all the lights when I am not using them, and I will use plastic cups that are reusable instead of using paper cups. Instead of watching TV, go play outside because the TV uses electricity. Also I will make homemade soup instead of buying it at the store. I will use a blanket instead of sitting by the fire or the heater. And finally, I think it will be a good idea to sell my drawings of Nora and give the money to the zoo.
The judges said: The drawing subtle and minimalist. Molly provided perhaps the most realistic rendering of Nora out of all the entries. This is the Nora we love and miss so much. We also liked Molly's idea to sell her Nora drawings to help polar bears. That shows altruism and creativity.
Third place
Maya Zaslavsky, age 9
Portland
Essay: The worst thing for polar bears is that the ice is melting from the heat the world traps (global warming) and the polar bears don't have anywhere to go.
The things I can do to help stop global warming are to turn off the lights when I'm not using them, to carpool with people that I don't usually drive with or to go on the bus, to eat less meat, to eat food that is close to me and that people don't have to drive far at all to get (more local). If you can drive, then drive an electric car, and donate money to places who try to stop global warming.
The judges said: We liked how Maya used a dark background to make her polar bear stand out. She clearly took time with her drawing to make it seem realistic, and she included some worthwhile ideas in her essay.
--Karly Imus
503-221-8206
@KarlyImus
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