For Immediate Release:
December 2, 2016

Contact: Amber Ellis
Watershed Restoration Manager
(804) 788-8811, ext. 205
aellis@jrava.org

Artists Invited to Submit Designs for Storm Drain Mural Contest in Fairview Heights Community

The James River Association is partnering with the City of Lynchburg and Skeo Solutions to host a Storm Drain Mural Project to remind the community to put “only rain down the drain” and to educate residents on how they can do their part to improve local water quality. A mural will be painted by the local artist selected through the contest on a storm drain at the Fairview Heights Recreation Center at 3621 Campbell Avenue in Lynchburg in the spring of 2017.

Artists ages 18 and older are invited to submit designs by January 15, 2017 at midnight. Applicants are encouraged to include art that demonstrates how residents can do their part to improve water quality. A panel of judges will narrow down submissions to select five top designs, and then the public will have the opportunity to vote from the top five from February 1, 2017 to March 1, 2017. The artist selected during the public competition will be compensated with a $500 stipend for materials.

Stormwater, or rainwater that runs off hard surfaces such as rooftops, streets and parking lots, represents the fastest growing source of pollution in the James River. Water flows untreated from storm drains into local water bodies, so this stormwater runoff, plus any waste dumped down the drain, will be carried into the water that local residents rely on for drinking and recreation.

For contest rules, a template for your design and to submit your entry, visit the James River Association’s website at https://thejamesriver.org/programs/watershed-restoration/storm-drain-mural-project/

For more information on conservation work in the Fairview Heights Community, contact Amber Ellis at aellis@jrava.org or call (804) 788-8811, ext. 205.

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ABOUT JAMES RIVER ASSOCIATION:
James River Association is a member-supported nonprofit organization founded in 1976 to serve as the guardian and voice for the James River. Throughout the James River’s 10,000-square mile watershed, the James River Association works through its core programs – Education, Community Conservation, Watershed Restoration, River Advocacy and the Riverkeeper Program – to help people of all ages enjoy, appreciate and protect the beauty and health of the James River for future generations to enjoy. For more information visit .