European Nuclear Society
e-news Issue 34 Autumn 2011
http://www.euronuclear.org/e-news/e-news-34/alexandru-ene.htm

Artistic talent to the fore in Romania: The 15th edition of the Alexandru Ene Drawing and Essay-writing Competition reaches its conclusion in Bucharest.

Already a regular fixture and a well-established tradition, this year’s “Alexandru Ene” Drawing and Essay-writing Competition once again attracted a considerable number of participants, all eager to enter into this annual battle of creativity. This year’s battle theme was: The Atom – Our Universe.

Unlike with previous editions, this one was dedicated to a series of events that marked the scientific world – taking in the 140 years since the physicist Ernest Rutherford was born and 100 years since the discovery of the atomic nucleus and since Marie Curie received the Nobel Prize for Physics for discovering radium and polonium.

The traditional success of this competition was further underlined with entries to the 2011 competition received from hundreds of participants from all over Romania. Children from Bucharest, Pitesti, Constanta, Buzau and Covasna, all talented writers and artists, put their skills to the test, putting to paper evidence of their knowledge, perception and personal views on the omnipresent atom.

To encourage greater objectivity and transparency in the judging process this year’s competition started with a new category aimed especially at art school and high school students. We wanted to grant an equal opportunity to students with outstanding talent for drawing, as well as to those whose inspiration and creativity is channeled more through a paint brush. The contestants were divided into two age categories: 9 – 13 years and 14 – 19 years. They competed according to their specific educational category.

More than 200 entries were considered for the drawing competition, of which 25% were students at fine arts high schools. Though the essay section received less papers than the other competition section (only 40 essays), it was nonetheless blessed with some inspired literary creations. All the entries from both categories respected the specified theme and tried to convey, as accurately as possible, the importance of the atom in relation to the many resultant discoveries that society benefits from today.
This year’s jury consisted of seven members and was honoured by the presence of the painter Mircea Deac. The quality, originality and creativity of the entries made the adjudication process a difficult one - it always difficult to be a judge in artistic competitions.

At the end of the evaluation and adjudication process, two special prizes were awarded for the drawing competition - one for the small artist category, the other one for the students of a school from province of Arges. There was a first prize, a second prize, a third prize and several special mentions. Unfortunately, one again this year, no essay was adjudged to have won the special prize, but there was a first, second and third prize, as well as special mentions too.

The competition ended on 23 May 2011, with an exhibition at the Constantin Brancusi Hall at the Parliament Palace, where all prize-winners received their awards, not just the first prize winners. Furthermore, all the entries in the competition were exhibited. So, for two days, those present, as well as tourists, children and parents, were able to admire the drawings.

We thank all the children, from all over the country, who participated in this year “Alexandru Ene” drawing and essay-writing competition. We appreciated their interest, desire and creativity, all of which they showed when presenting their work, thereby showing how they had converted the atom into the nucleus of their artistic universe.

For further information please contact:
Mihaela Stiopol: mstiopol@nuclearelectrica.ro

© European Nuclear Society, 2011