DOWAGIAC — When Dowagiac residents are strolling the streets this spring, city leaders are hoping they will take notice of more than just the scenery.

Instead, leaders hope visitors will appreciate artwork from local students.

The city of Dowagiac recently announced the winners of its annual student artwork competition. The 12 winners of the competition will have their artwork displayed on the back of city wayfinding signs throughout the year when there are no festivals to advertise.

Students could use any medium or design for their submissions. This year, 149 entries were submitted by area students.

Each entry is blindly judged by a panel, with representatives from the city, the schools, area businesses, community leaders, Southwestern Michigan College and Dowagiac residents.

“It’s a great way to liven up the signs and show we care about our students,” said Bobbie Jo Hartline, secretary for the city manager, about the program. “We love the arts, we love the town, we love our schools. We thought, ‘why not merge all three?’”

Hartline said the idea to host the art contest came out of desire to create unique, artful wayfinding signs for the city. However, due to Michigan Department of Transportation regulations, city officials were limited in how they could decorate the front of the signs. So, it was decided that a framework would be added to the back of the signs in order to advertise festivals, and, in the off-seasons, display artwork.

“I was so proud, the city was so proud and the parents were so proud of these kids,” Hartline said. “It became a real family event.”

City Manager Kevin Anderson said he knew the art competition was a worthwhile project when, one year, he came across an entire family admiring a student’s art on a wayfinding sign.

“It was really cool to see that,” Anderson said. “It was kind of one of those times that you appreciate the impact that something like this can have.”

The two winners from Dowagiac Middle School, Lyla Elrod and Madisyn Williams, said that they cannot wait to see their art on the back of the city’s signs to be like the student in Anderson’s story.

“I was really happy to find out I’d been chosen,” Elrod said. “I’ve seen the artwork downtown before and thought it was really pretty, so I’m excited to be part of that.”

Williams added that she likes the idea of the contest and was happy to have her work selected to be displayed in town.

“I was surprised when I found out I won,” she said. “It was cool.”

Hartline said that she hopes Dowagiac residents are excited about the artwork as the students are.

“I hope [when residents see the artwork] they feel pride,” Hartline said. “I hope they are proud of their kids collectively. I hope that the community has pride in the small things in this community. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but it is a lot.”

The full list of winners includes:

• Lillian Bladecki-Cobb, first grade

• Raquel de Varona, first grade

• Addie Wilson, fourth grade

• Johanna McDonald, fourth grade

• Aliayah Huddleston, fourth grade

• Merrill Adams, fifth grade

• Aubrey Pelfrey, fifth grade

• Markus Ottinger, fifth grade

• Madisyn Williams, sixth grade

• Lyla Elrod-Edwards, seventh grade

• Marissa Jones, 10th grade

• Josh Tartt, 11th grade