Conner Prairie accepting art contest entries until May 29 to win 1859 Balloon Voyage tickets

FISHERS, Ind. (May 20, 2009)  Young artists ages eight to 10 are invited to put their imagination to work for Conner Prairie’s Picture Indiana Youth Art Contest, where they can paint, draw, photograph and collage their way to tickets for 1859 Balloon Voyage, Conner Prairie’s newest exhibit. Opening June 6, the exhibit educates guests about Indiana’s aviation history and culminates with a voyage 350 feet above the prairie in a tethered, helium balloon. 

1859 Balloon Voyage demonstrates one example of how creative ideas and imagination inspired the inventions and technology that connect people and cultures all over the world today. Youth can have fun creating artwork for Picture Indiana about how inventions like ballooning, the telephone, cars, planes, the Internet and more help bring cultures and people together.

Artwork will be showcased at Conner Prairie’s Indiana Festival, June 6 & 7, a celebration of the diverse people and cultural traditions of Indiana including music, crafts, dance, food and games. This year, Indiana Festival will feature the grand opening of 1859 Balloon Voyage, where guests will discover Indiana's role in the first airmail delivery, led by scientist and aeronaut John Wise. Indiana Festival will also include a special kids’ area with crafts, ethnic cuisine, cultural dances, performances, games and more.

Picture Indiana entries will be judged by a volunteer panel, and awards will be given for top entries in the following categories: Most Creative Design, Best Application of Theme, Honorable Mention and Best Overall. All winners will receive a gift basket filled with art supplies, Conner Prairie treats and four complimentary tickets to visit Conner Prairie. The Best Overall winner will also receive four complimentary tickets to 1859 Balloon Voyage.

Entries must be hand-delivered or mailed to Conner Prairie by May 29, 2009. Artwork must be created solely by young artists age eight to 10 and should be no larger than 8½” x 11”. Mediums can include painting (watercolor, acrylic or oil), drawing (colored pencil, pen and ink, marker or crayon), photography (color or black and white) or other (collage, quilting, embroidery, batik, quillwork or any combination), but no computer-generated artwork will be accepted. Visit connerprairie.org for Picture Indiana submission details.


Conner Prairie interactive history park created by Eli Lilly in 1934 is Indiana’s only Smithsonian affiliate. Families of today engage, explore and discover what it was like to live and play in Indiana’s past. Explore five themed historic areas on 200 beautiful, wooded acres including the newest exhibit, opening June 6, 2009. 1859 Balloon Voyage educates guests about Indiana’s aviation history and culminates with a voyage 350 feet above the prairie in a tethered helium balloon. Every visit is a unique adventure that provides an authentic look into the history that shapes us today. Admission to Conner Prairie: $12 adult, $11 senior, $8 youth ages 2-12, free for members. For more information about Conner Prairie visit www.connerprairie.org or call 317.776.6006 or 800.966.1836.

Media Contact:
Kimberly Coon (marketing assistant)
coon@connerprairie.org
317.776.6000 ext. 163