Belvidere Sister Cities announces youth art showcase

BOONE COUNTY – The Sister Cities Association of Belvidere announces the upcoming 28th Annual Young Artists Showcase held by Sister Cities International headquartered in Washington D.C.
The 2016 theme for the competition is “Peace Through People.”
Sister Cities International is a non-profit organization, which promotes peace, understanding, respect, and friendship between communities in the United States and communities throughout the world.
Citizens from Belvidere’s two Sister Cities – Schwiberdingen, Germany and Vaux le Penil, France – have visited our community at various times through the past 25 years.
In September 2015, representatives from Belvidere were hosted in homes in both the German and France Sister Cities and attended a celebration of this long relationship.
For many years, high school youth from the three high schools in Boone County have been granted scholarships to travel to and live in host homes in Belvidere’s Sister Cities. These students have then brought back with them their foreign hosts to enjoy three weeks in the Boone County area.
Both the adult and the youth exchanges have resulted in valuable international relationships between the three Sister City communities.
Students ages 13 to 18 who reside in Boone County are eligible to enter the art competition. Entered work must be brought to Alpine Bank, 600 S. State St. in Belvidere on Friday, April 8 between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
After the judging on Tuesday, April 12, the art work will be displayed in the lower level of the bank for public viewing.
A reception will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 16 during which those present may meet the artists.
Awards sponsored by Alpine Bank will be announced and presented to the three winners in the bank lobby at 10:30 a.m. The community is invited to join Belvidere Sister Cities in honoring all the youth participants.
The winner’s top work will be sent to Sister Cities International to be judged at the international level. All the winning art entries will be on display at Alpine Bank lobby for one week and then at the Brick Café and Gallery at 615 State St. in Belvidere
Any questions can be directed to Ruth Todt at (815) 765-2154.