Young at Art

As a member of Coastal America, the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher was delighted to accept submissions for Coastal America’s recent Ocean Art Contest. Some twelve other facilities collected entries, totaling approximately 1,500 pieces overall. The Aquarium at Fort Fisher alone accepted 121 pieces of students’ work.

Of the 1,500 entries, three North Carolina students were selected as national finalists. Winners were 14-year-old Jan Fahlbusch, age 14 of New Bern; 17-year-old Chelsea Finical, age 17 of Grimesland; and 8-year-old Ansley Nurkin, age 8 of Charlotte. Their work will be displayed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Open to students from kindergarten through university levels, the contest encouraged participants to use their creativity and artistic talent to express the importance of our oceans, both personally and globally. Guidelines required that artwork reflect one of seven established “essential principles of ocean literacy,” and include a narrative explaining the piece. Categories were defined by grade levels, and regional winners were sent to Washington, D.C., to compete nationally, where they also met President Bush, who applauded their efforts.





Ansley Nurkin, age 8











Jan Fahlbusch, age 14








Chelsea Finical, age 17