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Students in Augusta honor Arnold Palmer through art

By Doug Stutsman
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Students in Augusta honor Arnold Palmer through art

Arnold Palmer's impact on Augusta, Ga., is difficult to put into words, so some students expressed it through art.

On Thursday, the third annual Ted Greve & Associates banquet was held, which urged high school artists to pay tribute to the golfing legend. Palmer, who died Sept. 25, was a four-time Masters Tournament champion and beloved figure in Augusta.

"A lot of Augusta's identity is tied into Arnold Palmer," said Greve, who held the ceremony at Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. "He meant so much to this community and our competition was a way to pay tribute to that."

More than 60 applicants submitted artwork, with 18 winners announced Thursday. The selected pieces will be showcased in a 2017 calendar titled "A Tribute to the King of Golf."

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In addition, the art will be on a traveling display throughout Greve & Associates law offices in Georgia and North Carolina.

"My mother was an art teacher for many, many years and she's kind of the inspiration behind this," Greve said. "I went to the University of Georgia on a swimming scholarship, and for me, art is very similar to sports in that it brings people together. Art makes you smarter -- it makes you more whole as a person."

Of the 18 finalists, Stanny Zaw (Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School) captured first place for his tribute of Palmer striking a golf ball at Augusta National Golf Club toward a drawing of the world. Aaron St. Charles, a senior at Butler High School, earned second place, while Monique Porter (John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School) won third place.

Greve's art competition was open to all high school students in Richmond County.

"Expressing who Arnold Palmer was without doing a portrait was definitely a challenge," said Travis Wiggins, an art teacher at Davidson. "But I'm very proud of what our students came up with. (At Davidson), we really push creative thought to our students."

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Portraits of Palmer were accepted, but the contest was designed for students to think outside the box. One piece (done by Aniyah Badger of Butler High) included Palmer sitting in a rocking chair and gazing toward the Augusta National clubhouse. Another (by Chris Ali of Butler) showed Palmer's green jacket with a symbolic umbrella behind it. In Ali's creation was also a quote from Palmer that read, "Swing your swing."

All participants and their families were invited to attend the celebration. The 18 winners received a cash prize, complementary calendar and framed certificate.

This article is written by Doug Stutsman from The Augusta Chronicle, Ga. and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network.