By JOYANNA LOVE/ Senior Staff Writer

Olivia Driver of Clanton Elementary School has been named a winner in the Alabama Bicentennial Celebration art exhibit for the K-2 division.

“I was really shocked,” Driver said. “I was really surprised because I had no clue.”

Art teacher Julie Harrison entered a printmaking project of a map of Alabama that Driver completed in class to the contest.

Students rolled paint onto a transparency, then used a cotton swab to remove ink where they wanted lines to be on the print. Students then pressed a sheet of paper on top to pull a print. Next, students colored in each of the counties with oil pastels. Students used bright colors, but had to make sure the counties that bordered each other were different colors.

Driver said she enjoyed rolling out the paint.

“She did awesome,” Harrison said, noting that Driver took her time on the project.

Driver and Harrison attended the awards luncheon in Montgomery on Feb. 8. The Alabama Arts Commission paid for Driver and Harrison to attend the awards luncheon. Before the event, they were able to tour the exhibit at the Capitol. Driver’s parents and sister were also able to attend the event.

Driver said she enjoyed the food and seeing the capital.

She also met Stephanie Bell, Alabama State Board of Education, District 3 and Karen Porter, Coordinator of Alabama Reading Initiative and Co-Chair of the Alabama Bicentennial Education Committee, while she was at the capital. Driver said she liked Bell’s pink skirt.