Pinon Elementary School Student Josh Gratz, front row center, and his classmates show their appreciation to Atomic City Transit Tuesday morning. Gratz won the drawing contest Atomic City Transit held recently in recognition of its 10 year anniversary. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com
Pinon Elementary School Third Grader Josh Gratz’s artwork can be spotted around town. Unlike art hanging in a gallery space, the 8-year-old’s drawing is mobile and always on the go but drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians can view it as they move up and down Los Alamos’ streets.
Gratz won the drawing contest the Los Alamos County Atomic City Transit (ACT) held in recognition of its 10 year anniversary. Tuesday morning, ACT staff drove a bus to Gratz’s school to unveil his winning entry, which is featured on the bus’ back windshield. Gratz’s drawing will be featured on the bus’ back window for six months.
Transit Manager Annette Granillo said ACT turned 10 years old on Oct. 25 and the drawing contest was held in November. ACT staff served as judges for the contest. The contest received 14 entries, all of which came from Pinon Elementary Teacher Whitney Holland’s class. The other entries were also temporarily displayed on the bus but were returned to the students Tuesday.
Gratz said he was “really happy” to have won the contest. He added it was a surprise. His mother, Emily, said while they are not frequent riders on ACT buses, she feels her kids will be as they get older.
She added, “This is really fun!”
Holland said she wanted to have her class enter the contest because she rode ACT buses for years and she saw the activity as a way to support ACT and to have her class do some art.
She added ACT is “such an invaluable resource that making art is the least we could do.”
Granillo said ACT staff were pleased with the entries. “We loved all the art,” she said, adding the best thing was “just the response and thoughts off the children.”
To show thanks, Holland’s class was given goodie bags containing ACT water bottles and other paraphernalia.
Granillo reported to the children that ACT employs 30 drivers and has 28 buses in its fleet. As of August 2017, it has made almost 5 million trips.
Pinon Elementary School student Josh Gratz’s artwork is displayed on the back of one of the ACT buses. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com