Student Banner Art on Display at Rio Grande Zoo

By Terry Axline

Albuquerque, NM - Now on display at ABQ BioPark’s Rio Grande Zoo -- sixteen beautiful banners displaying tree art created by APS students. The banners are mounted on light poles bordering the Zoo’s central park and will be up through the New Year. Conceived by Worldstudio, and presented in collaboration with the City of Albuquerque and Tree New Mexico, the APS student banner art contest was sponsored by Wells Fargo and is part of The Urban Forest Project.

Over 80 Albuquerque area middle and high school students participated in The Project by creating artwork using the metaphor of a tree. The sixteen winning banners were selected by a jury of creative professionals along with a City of Albuquerque representative. All the student banner art is available on The Urban Forest Project website.

The Urban Forest Project also has an adult component with banners created by local artists and designers, and mounted on light poles throughout Albuquerque. As with the student art, these banners used the form or metaphor for the tree to make a powerful visual statement about the environment. Together, they create a forest of thoughtful images in the urban landscape and help raise awareness of AlbuquerqueGreen, the city’s innovative environmental program.ABQ BioPark is an accessible facility and a division of the City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department. Contact the BioPark at 311 locally, (505) 768-2000 (Relay NM or 711). Find more information at cabq.gov/biopark.

Same day combo admission to the BioPark’s Rio Grande Zoo, Albuquerque Aquarium and Rio Grande Botanic Garden is $12 for adults; $5 for seniors 65 and older and for children 3-12. New Mexico BioPark Society membership confers FREE general admission to all BioPark facilities and discounts to many special events, including summer concerts. Find out more about becoming a BioPark Society member at nmbioparksociety.org.

The Albuquerque Biological Park is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation.

To view Rio Grande Zoo's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to:  http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-94-Rio_Grande_Zoo