PORT ARANSAS – Winners of the Third Annual Port Aransas Ferry Art Contest include six works by five Texas artists along with four entries in the youth division, the Texas Department of Transportation Corpus Christi District announced today.

In the adult division, winners include two watercolor paintings by Pleasanton artist Lee Ricks, “The Lighthouse” and “Fresh Bait.” Other pieces of artwork selected from a field of 25 submissions in the adult division are: “Channel Dreams,” a color pencil and pastel drawing by Xavier Benites of Austin; “Three Pelicans,” an acrylic on board painting by Buddy Turk of Pleasanton and Port Aransas; “St. Joe’s First Light,” an acrylic on canvas painting by John Olvey of Corpus Christi and a watercolor painting, “Mustang Island, Gulls and Sea Oats,” by Mary Lib Thornhill of Austin and Port Aransas.

The winning artwork, two pieces per vessel, will be reproduced and placed on the control tower of the William Burnett, the Mark Goode and the J.C. Dingwall. The artwork should be on the Burnett and Goode prior to Spring Break and the Dingwall should have its new art by Memorial Day.

In the 18-years-of-age-and-under youth division, winners are: “A Wavy Day in Port A,” a pencil and watercolor work by Alexandra Paulsen of Victoria; “Two to Tango,” a watercolor by Chase Solimine, Port Aransas; “Sunset Jump,” a work in color pencils by Noah Swindle, Port Aransas; and “Beautiful but Dangerous,” color pencil artwork by Gabriella N. Garcia, Bishop.

The youth art will be placed on the larger, 28-vehicle Michael W. Behrens or Charles W. Heald before Spring Break.

Artists were encouraged to submit works that illustrate the people, places, plants, animals, environment, scenes, settings, events or activities related to the Port Aransas ferry system and the Coastal Bend region. The entries were judged on relevance, creativity and overall impression.