STUDENTS RECEIVE 2009 KIDS TAG ART AWARDS OF DISTINCTION

Kids Tag Art, a fundraising project that inspires fifth grade art students to design their own specialty plate art, announces fifth grade students who recently received the 2009 Awards of Distinction.

This year, 130 students' tag art designs were selected from fifth graders from all across Polk County. These designs will become part of the 2009 Kids Tag Art display, a mobile collage of license tag art which will travel around the county over the coming months. An exhibit calendar is available online.

These fifth grade art students will also have the unique experience of what it feels like to be a celebrated artist when their Kids Tag Art winning designs are put up for sale today on the Polk County Tax Collector's website, www.polktaxes.com.

Kids Tag Art inspires young artists to create their own unique design, learning the practical application of license plate art to support worthy causes, fashioned after Florida's 100+ specialty license plates. However, these tags are strictly art and not for use as legal identification on the rear bumper of cars.

This year, the major sponsor for this project is Douglass Screen Printers.  Lisa Kaiser Hickey is the owner and president of Douglass Screen Printers who produces the tags and has been integrally involved from the inception of the project.  "Douglass Screen Printers has built its 70 year legacy on creativity. We wholeheartedly support not only the arts in general but the Kids Tag Art program in particular because it encourages creativity and independent thought in our leaders of tomorrow," comments Hickey.

Other sponsors include Alphagraphics, MOSAIC, Mid Florida Credit Union, and the Polk Education Foundation.  The Polk County Tax Collector’s office promotes Kids Tag Art each year, along with its partners, Polk County Schools, Junior Woman's Club of Lakeland, Polk Museum of Art and Ridge Art Association.  Lake Wales Arts Council and Polk Arts Alliance also joined the organization this year.

The price of a tag is $15 and all proceeds go to classroom art supplies. Parents and friends can order from the winning designs for holiday gift-giving. Orders must be postmarked by December 4 in order to be delivered by the 25th. Tag art will be on the website and available for sale through the 2009 school year.

A reception for students and their parents is planned to recognize the students' achievement on February 20, 2010 at Polk Museum of Art.

Click here to see the Full Image View of the 2009 Kids Tag Art Winning Designs!

Click here to see 2009 Winning Tag Arts Designs by the student's first name and school

Purchase A 2009 Kid Tag! "How To Order A Winning Kid Tag" Kids Tag Art Online Order Form click here to print out an order form. After completing the form just mail it in with your payment. (Note: To get them in time for Christmas your order must be postmarked by 12/11/2009!) (Note: The following items are available in pdf format, which must be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This software is available free through the Adobe web site.) For more purchase information or questions, contact Martha Roe Burke at (863) 534-4722.

DIY Other Tax Collectors or Schools interested in creating Kids Tag Art projects should contact our partner, Douglas Screen Printers, about production information. For more information, just click on the logo

Check out the Kids Tag Art calendar for 2009-2010 by clicking here...

See the Kids Tag Art timeline for 2009-2010 by clicking here...

(Select a year to view previous Kid's Tags that got Awards of Distinction! 2008 - 2007 - 2006)

To see Fun Facts and how Kids Tag Art began, click here!