MISSOULA, Mont. – Hale Devins, a 2nd grader at Seeley Lake Elementary School, took first place in this year’s 63rd Keep Montana Green statewide art contest with his striking depiction of this year’s theme: “Go the Extra Mile Each Time You Burn a Pile.” Second and third place were awarded to Madysen Lines of Browning High School and Logan Kellom of Hobson, respectively.
The top three winners were selected from over 800 entries submitted by participating educators on behalf of their art students across the state. Statewide winners received cash prizes and will be featured in the annual Keep Montana Green calendar as well as on the website at www.keepmontanagreen.com/art-contest-winners
“Every year we receive truly wonderful illustrations, and it is always hard to choose a winner. Living in Montana means we must live with fire, but these young artists do a great job envisioning a world with fewer human-caused wildfires,” said Julia Berkey, Keep Montana Green Association Executive Director.
In addition to the art contest, K-12 educators are given access to fire safety, prevention, and conservation resources related to the contest and the mission of Keep Montana Green. The Keep Montana Green Association has sponsored 63 art contests since 1961 with the mission of creating a lasting interest in preventing human-caused wildland fires.
“Escaped pile burning is our #1 cause of human-ignited wildfires in Montana, and it is 100% preventable. That’s why, this year, we chose a theme that encourages the responsible use of pile burning,” said Berkey. “We are hoping educational campaigns such as this can help inspire a new generation of young people who know how to burn their debris piles safely and effectively.”
The 2024 Montana Statewide Winners include:
1st Place – Hale Devins, 2nd grade, Natasha Hartsoch (teacher), Seeley Lake Elementary, Seeley Lake
2nd Place – Madyson Lines, 10th grade, Radium Woolf (teacher), Browning High School, Browning
3rd Place – Logan Kellom, 6th grade, Alison Kellom (teacher), Homeschooled, Hobson
Primary Division (Grades K-3):
1st Place – Reid Graveley, 3rd grade, Alyssa Daniels (teacher), Helmville School, Helmville
2nd Place – Virginia McLane, 3rd grade, Mrs. Mouledous (teacher), Kessler Elementary, Helena
3rd Place – Bransen Fryxell, 3rd grade, Mrs. Leeper (teacher), Plains Public School, Plains
Honorable Mention – Margo Furlong, 2nd grade, Kati Knutson (teacher), West Glacier School, West Glacier
Intermediate Division, (Grades 4-6):
1st Place – Breylen Reese, 5th grade, Rachel Reese (teacher), Homeschool, Helena
2nd Place – Mila Chinikaylo, 6th grade, Mrs. Brett (teacher), Florence-Carlton Elementary, Florence
3rd Place – Kash Hopkins, 5th grade, Joanna Lund (teacher), Kessler Elementary, Helena
Honorable Mention – Melany Collie, 6th grade, Anika Melzer-Roush (teacher), Hellgate Elementary, Missoula
Junior Division, (Grades 7-9):
1st Place – Lauren Weber, 7th grade, Karen Barr (teacher), Bissell School, Whitefish
2nd Place – Marci Neill, 8th grade, Gretchen Durand (teacher), Stanford Public School, Stanford
3rd Place – Claire Christensen, 7th grade, Ms. Walter (teacher), Whitehall School, Whitehall
Honorable Mention – Liam Wheeler, 9th grade, Jeff Schultz (teacher), Superior School, Superior
Senior Division, (Grades 10-12):
1st Place – Grace Stahl, 12th grade, Douglas Braulick (teacher), Fergus High School, Lewistown
2nd Place –Zayley Tinnel, 12th grade, Kate Daniels (teacher), Columbia Falls H.S, Columbia Falls
3rd Place –Madysen Marten, 11th grade, Kate Daniels (teacher), Columbia Falls H.S, Columbia Falls
Honorable Mention – Heather Sherburn, 10th grade, Ms. Jaramillo (teacher), Big Sandy H.S, Big Sandy
Special Education (Grades K-6):
1st Place – Eli Brown, 2nd grade, Ms. Martin (teacher) Lavina Public School, Lavina
2nd Place – Brixton Blair, 6th grade, Ms. Sapien (teacher), Washington Middle School, Miles City
3rd Place – Elise White, Kindergarten, Ms. Haldenwanger (teacher), Reed Point School, Reed Point
Special Education (Grades 7-12):
1st – Kyriae Standing Rock, 9th grade, Ms. Schultz (teacher), Wolf Point Public School, Wolf Point
2nd – Gunnar Snell, 9th grade, Lee McBride (teacher) Florence-Carlton H.S, Florence
3rd – Naysa Oller, 12th grade, Lee McBride (teacher) Florence-Carlton H.S, Florence
Computer Generated Division:
1st –Eternity DeLau, 9th grade, Mandy Wichman (teacher), Hobson School, Hobson
2nd – Travis Hill, 8th grade, Mrs. Snead (teacher), Thompson Falls Junior High, Thompson Falls
3rd –Peyton French, 9th grade, Mandy Wichman (teacher), Hobson School, Hobson
For more information on Keep Montana Green and the annual art contest, please visit https://www.keepmontanagreen.com/ [keepmontanagreen.com]
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