Pasco County Recycling is thrilled to announce that more than a dozen talented Pasco County high school students turned their artistic ability – into cash!  The winners of the 2017 Art of Recycling contest received their prize money and certificates during special ceremonies at their schools during the week of February 6, 2017.

The 2017 Art of Recycling contest winner is a repeat winner!  Kylie Rice of Ridgewood High School also won the top prize in last year’s contest.  The featured image for this article is Kyle’s 2017 entry and it is called Leaping from Industrialization.

Nainshari Ortiz of Anclote High School won Most Innovative and the People’s Choice Award with the entry below called Looking on the Other Side.

Pasco County students started recycling trash into artwork at the beginning of the semester, raising awareness of the Arts and encouraging the practice of recycling.  Prizes were awarded in 15 categories.

Congratulations to all of this year’s Art of Recycling winners:
Kylie Rice – Ridgewood HS, 1st Place $500
Julianna Wilkinson – Gulf High School, 2nd Place $300
Sydney Bennett – Bishop McLaughlin, 3rd Place $200
Taylor Moore – Pasco HS, Commissioner’s Award $100
Kaylin Murphy – JW Mitchell HS, Covanta’s Choice $100
Breanna Gates – Ridgewood HS, Best Artistic Expression $100
Jessica Skrelunas – Anclote HS, Best Use of Printed Material $100
Nainshari Ortiz – Anclote HS, Most Innovative $100 and People’s Choice $100
Katie Shelley – Sunlake HS, AOR Committee Award $100
Brinkley Simpson – Sunlake HS, Best Use of Aluminum $100
Eleni Athanasoulis – Genesis Prep, Best Use of Materials $100
Sarah Oliva – Pasco HS, Best Use of Plastic $100
Darian Proper – Anclote HS, Pasco Arts Council Merit $100
Madison Kaylor – Pasco HS, Best Environmental Concept $100

Two 2017 Art of Recycling $750 college scholarships are still to be awarded.

The public is invited to see all these impressive pieces of recycled art at the West Pasco Government Center at 8731 Citizens Drive, New Port Richey through February 24, 2017.  The 15 winning pieces will then be on display at the Pasco County District School Board through March 31, 2017.

This event is a co-operative project of the District School Board of Pasco County, Pasco County Recycling and Education, Keep Pasco Beautiful and the Pasco Arts Council.  The Pasco Art of Recycling contest and exhibit is supported by the following community businesses, organizations and individuals:
Commissioner Mike Moore
Covanta Pasco
County Recycling
Keep Pasco Beautiful, Inc
Fine Arts of the Suncoast
Pasco Arts Council
Regency Technologies
Republic Services, Inc.
Sierra Family Foundation
Simpson Farms
Waste Aid Systems
Waste Connections
Waste Management

For more information about the Art of Recycling click the following link: http://bit.ly/2kdGsIk.

For more information about recycling in Pasco County visit: http://bit.ly/2lWhIVh.

For more information about Keep Pasco Beautiful click here: http://keeppascobeautiful.org.