To mark five decades of Ride On bus service, the Montgomery County Department of Transportation has announced the winners of its Ride On 50th Anniversary Art Contest. The competition, open to all Montgomery County middle school students, ran from March 15 to April 15 and drew 96 entries celebrating the impact of public transit in the community.
Laura Jin, a student at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, earned first place and received a $100 gift card for her winning design. Her artwork will also be featured in all 400 Ride On buses.
Ava Lutgendorf of North Bethesda Middle School was the second-place winner and received a $75 gift card. Jenny Gong of Rocky Hill Middle School came in third place and received a $50 gift card.
Along with the top three winners, eight finalists will be recognized and have their art featured alongside the winners at an upcoming art tour through Montgomery County government buildings.
Finalists include:
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Leia Baudoin, Rocky Hill Middle School
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Arzo Rahimi, Takoma Park Middle School
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Benjamin Li, Herbert Hoover Middle School
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Carina Araujo, Barnesville School of Arts and Sciences
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Piper Russell, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School
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Saanvi Lanke, Shady Grove Middle School
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Ahyoon Kim, Thomas W. Pyle Middle School
Herbert Hoover Middle School was also awarded a $500 gift card for art supplies, as it had the most entries—24 in total. Brian Ostry, a teacher at Herbert Hoover, received special thanks, as most of the submissions came from students in his class.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in this year’s contest. Your creativity brought joy and color to MCDOT Ride On’s 50th Anniversary,” said MCDOT Ride On General Manager Phil McLaughlin.
Winning artwork and more information can be found on the Ride On website.
Photo courtesy MCDOT
