Art in the Park

March 28, 2009

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will participate in the seventh annual Art in the Park festival on Saturday, March 28 in Stark Park, located in downtown Orange. 

Nature enthusiasts will want to stop by the Shangri La booth to learn all about the serene oasis, which reopens to the public on March 7, 2009, after recovering from damages caused by Hurricane Ike in September 2008.  Visitors to the booth will learn all about the revitalized gardens, including tour and admissions information.  They will also have the opportunity to sign up for a Shangri La membership. 

Each year during Art in the Park, Shangri La awards and displays the winners of the Annual Art Contest sponsored by Shangri La.  For the fourth consecutive year, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is hosting an art contest for Orange County students in 1st through 12th grades.  This contest has garnered a great deal of interest from local schools in the past with over 200 submissions last year. 

The entries are divided into three divisions, each based on a different environmentally-related theme.  1st-5th graders will follow the theme "The Reasons I Love Gardens," and the winning artwork will be published on Shangri La's schedule of classes for 2009-2010.  Students in grades 6-8 are the theme "Making our World Greener," and the winner's artwork will be displayed on the 2009 Shangri La Earth Week t-shirts.  The high school division theme is "Forever Young," and this year's winner will see his or her artwork painted as a mural on the wall in the Children's Garden at Shangri La. 

Please stop by to be inspired by the amazing artwork submitted by local Orange County students.