Pick the Winners for the ‘Oakland Together’ COVID-19 Safety Video & Art Contest

July 31, 2020August 13, 2020Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

Do you have an eye for visual or video art?

Here’s your chance to pick the winners of the ‘Oakland Together’ Safety Video & Art Contest. Voting is easy and it’s online. Now until 5 p.m. on Friday, August 7th, you can vote once a day to select a favorite video and visual art from two categories: Oakland County youth ages 10-17 and those age 18 and above. The theme was the continuing importance of practicing COVID-19 safety.

Those interested may vote once a day for the entries that best promote and encourage COVID safety. Voters can view the videos and visual art and vote for as many finalists across any of the categories at www.oakgov.com/covid/contests. Voting ends on Friday, August 7th at 5 p.m. The finalists in each category who receives the most public votes will be the winners.

“We have some incredibly talented people who have shown their passion and creativity in capturing the importance of wearing masks and social distancing to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “Each of these artists has embraced the message that the virus is still with us and working as Oakland Together is the most effective way for us to beat COVID-19. I congratulate them all and thank them for their entries.”

The four finalists in the age 10-17 Visual Arts category are:

Rave Andrews, 16, West Bloomfield
Maria Clark, 10, Berkley
Steven Lowenberg, 13, Southfield
Natalie Radabaugh, 16, Rochester Hills

The finalists in the 18 and over Visual Arts category are:

Angela Clark, Berkley
Sydni Gothard, Waterford
Paul O’Hara, Rochester Hills

The finalists in the age 10-17 Video category are:

Owen Glossinger, 15, Beverly Hills
Charlisa Penzak, 12, Bloomfield Hills
Lucy Thomson, 12, Clawson
Aidan Wilson, 11, Royal Oak

The finalists in the age 18 and over Video category are:

Edith Dana, Commerce Township
A’Kena LongBenton, Troy
Eli Sider, Huntington Woods

The contest was open to original artwork submitted by the original creator, including but not limited to video, painting, drawing, photography, illustration and printmaking. Artwork was to promote and encourage COVID safety, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state of Michigan protocols.

A panel of judges selected the top entries from each age group and category. Criteria included creativity, overall artistic impact in communicating safety during COVID-19 and skill in mastering the chosen medium. Each finalist will receive $100; category winners will each be awarded an additional $250 for a total of $350 combined with their finalist prize.

Winners will be announced Tuesday, August 11th, and their entries will be displayed virtually on the county’s website, www.oakgov.com, social media channels and www.OaklandCountyProsper.com through September 30th.

They will also be considered for use in upcoming public service announcements. The artists will be given credit if their creations are used.

Stay up to date about the coronavirus disease in the county and explore more information at www.oakgov.com/covid.

Follow along with Oakland County on  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube using #OaklandCounty, or visit our website for news and events year-round.

Goldfinches Love Thistles!

July 31, 2020August 20, 2020Oakland County, MI Government 1 Comment

The American Goldfinch is among the most colorful and musical bird you will find in an Oakland County summer. Even a novice birder, such as myself, can identify Goldfinches with ease. Goldfinches are members of the finch family, as their name implies, and are not “wild canaries” as they are sometimes mistakenly called. The male’s eye-catching, gold and black plumage of summer is unmistakable. With a bit of experience, Goldfinches are recognizable from the distance by both their undulating, roller coaster like flight pattern and flight song. They thrive in the rural, thistle-rich fields of our county and are very much at home in the open spaces of parks, trail edge zones, and many of our urban and suburban neighborhoods.

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Pleasurable Summer Paddles

July 24, 2020August 10, 2020Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

An early morning paddle as the sun climbs over the horizon is the perfect way to start a nature-embracing summer day in the wilder side of Oakland County. The morning mist is magical as water drips off paddles and Great Blue Herons stalk the shallows. For the night owls, paddle out into a magical time of day, a few hours before dusk to catch the moon’s shadow shimmering on the water and beavers slapping their broad tails against the water to warn of your stealthy approach. Regardless of your time preference, Oakland County waters await your canoe, kayak, or stand-up paddle board adventures!

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Timberdoodle Tales

July 10, 2020July 10, 2020Oakland County, MI Government 2 Comments

WILDER SIDE OF OAKLAND COUNTY

I know of a field with heirloom fruit trees (a location I shall keep secret), where Timberdoodles hide in plain sight to incubate their eggs and dance in the sky. That’s where this wilder side tale really begins a few months ago on my spring hunt for morel mushrooms. Now you may ask, what do morel mushrooms have to do with Timberdoodles (American Woodcock), one of the strangest appearing birds of Oakland County you may ever encounter? More than you may think, for “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks,” a quote from John Muir that so often comes to life for me. That day in May was no exception.

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Entries Now Open For ‘Oakland Together’ COVID-19 Safety Video & Art Contest

July 8, 2020August 13, 2020Oakland County, MI Government Leave a comment

YOUR art has power. Art can save lives & bring us together.

Oakland County is looking for residents of nearly any age who have an artistic flair or video-making chops to create original art or a video to promote the continuing importance of practicing COVID-19 safety.

The ‘Oakland Together’ COVID-19 Safety Video & Art Contest is a way to encourage residents ages 10 and up to offer creative ways of sending the message that practices such as wearing face masks or social distancing continue to be critical components of fighting the pandemic.

“I know first-hand how creative and imaginative the residents of our county can be. This isn’t a new message, but it remains an important one. Wearing a face mask does make a difference in stopping the spread of the virus; washing your hands makes a difference and so does social distancing. You’ve heard me say it many times. I’m certain there are a lot of creative minds out there who can deliver the message that COVID-19 is still with us and it will take all of us working as Oakland Together to beat this insidious virus.”
Oakland County Executive David Coulter

The contest has two ages divisions: 10-17 and 18 and above; and video or visual arts/2D categories for each. There is no limit to the number of times a person may enter but each entry must be done separately. Entry deadline is July 24th at 11:59 p.m.

The contest is open to original artwork submitted by the original creator, including but not limited to video, painting, drawing, photography, illustration, and printmaking. Artwork should promote and encourage COVID safety, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and State of Michigan protocols.

A panel of judges will select the top three entries from each age group and category. Criteria include creativity, overall artistic impact in communicating safety during COVID-19, and the skill in mastering of the chosen medium. Coulter will announce the finalists on July 28th, whose creations will then be displayed online for a vote of by the public to determine the order of finish.

Every finalist will receive $100 each; category winners will each be awarded an additional $250 for a total of $350 combined with their finalist prize.

The winning entries will be considered for a virtual exhibit on OakGov.com, the county’s website and featured on Oakland County’s social media accounts and promoted in OaklandCountyProsper.com, the county’s bi-weekly electronic newsletter. They will also be considered for use in upcoming public service announcements. The artists will be given credit if their creations are used.

The contest is only open to residents of Oakland County. A complete list of rules and details on how to enter the contest are found at www.oakgov.com/covid/contests.

Stay up to date about the coronavirus disease in the county and explore more information at www.oakgov.com/covid.

Follow along with Oakland County on  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn,  Pinterest, Twitter, and YouTube using #OaklandCounty, or visit our website for news and events year-round.