Using art as advertising

The Optimist Club of Eagle, Idaho is planning the second annual Optimist Club Child Safety Day for this Saturday. In preparation for the afternoon activity, and to advertise the Safety Day event, the club recently partnered with Washington Trust Bank to host the Family Fun Area at the Eagle Fun Days Festival. One of the booths manned by the club was an artists booth that encouraged children to think about what it means to be safe during the summer and then to draw their ideas as a poster.

About 200 students stopped by to draw, and  58 completed entries into the poster contest that included ideas such as:

• Use sunscreen
• Beware of snakes
• Walk in the crosswalk
• Look both ways before crossing the street
• Don't drink beer
• Don't swim alone
• Don't swim in irrigation canals
• Don't run with scissors
• Wear your seatbelt
• Don't talk to strangers
• Ask if it is okay before you pet a strange dog

According to club president Gretchen Brown, it was a lot of fun for the club members to watch the young artists at work on their projects and to engage the kids in telling a story about their drawing. A winner will be drawn at random for a $25 movie pass to Edwards Cinemas.

The Eagle Optimist Club is considering additional projects that will help encourage the arts.