BY CHRISTINA TASCON

Bobbie Holt and LuAnn Willemen of Dale Sorensen Real Estate have made their downtown 14th Avenue office right at home in the Downtown Arts District.

Each month they participate side by side with the other art galleries by featuring a special artist in their downtown offices at the Dine and Design Gallery Strolls.

In addition to a monthly guest artist, Dale Sorensen Real Estate has also been holding an art contest for the last four months to find the next generation of Vero Beach artists.

For the last two years, from December to March, they showcased the work of several grade levels of students and allowed the public to vote for the winners.

The Children’s Art Contest was the brain child of Holt and Willemen in a two-fold effort to nurture the artistic talents of the local students as well as to give back to those that support the Dine & Design District.

On April 26th, the winners were announced as the students, teachers, and family applauded the young emerging talents of Daniela Nunez (Osceola Magnet K-2); Savannah Jeremy (Master’s Academy Grades 3-5); Keshawn Lampkin (Storm Grove Middle) and Will Johnson (St. Edward’s) who tied for Grades 6-8, and Kaitlin Holland (Sebastian River High).

“We reached out to all schools, public and private,” said Holt.  “We let them do any medium and whatever subject they wanted to create and each school was allowed to enter one piece from each grade level.”

“This all really could not have done without Betsy Nelson [an Osceola Art Teacher] who went and picked up all the artwork and helped coordinate the whole show,” said Willemen.  “She really went above and beyond.”

One of the winners, Will Johnson, said he was very happy to have won in his category with a beautiful, striking painting of a yellow bird.  When asked what inspired him he credited his grandmother who was an artist and said he thought his talent “just comes naturally” from her.

Both parents came to the reception to see their son be honored for doing something he so obviously loves to do.

“His biggest source of inspiration seems to be the birds he sees,” said Helen Johnson.  “He loves them and he goes outside to capture them on his pages all the time.”

Holt said that the Sorensen’s were very enthusiastic when she and Willemen first approached them about doing the contest.  “They backed us up completely on the project.  They really are a very generous family and always are giving back to the community.”

“We are amazed by the artwork we see from the students,” said Willemen.  “Age doesn’t matter on talent either.  Sometimes it is the very young ones that really are incredible.  We are always so excited to see what we receive.”

This was the second year of the contest and between 60 to 75 students participated this year.  Normally there are four winners but there was a tie in one category to come up with the top five winners this year.

Each student will receive a free class of their choice from the Vero Beach Museum of Art.

This is just one of the ways Dale Sorensen Real Estate, Holt, and Willemen plan to stay involved with both the students and the District.

“Now we have also been inviting the schools to let their music students play at our office during the stroll,” said Holt.  “There are just so many unbelievably talented kids here.”