'Tree City' art pieces now on display at a local wine cafe

Besides sipping on local wine, patrons of Tutto Béne can also enjoy local art while dining. "Tree City" art, ranging from paintings and photography to even a glass piece, are now on display at the restaurant, located at 213 S. Rogers St.\nTo celebrate its title as the first Tree City in Indiana, the City of Bloomington held its second annual art contest with the Tree City theme. Pieces were displayed in the City Hall atrium until last Saturday, when Bloomington residents voted on their favorites. The collection had hung in the atrium since Oct. 6, which was the contest's final date of submission.\nThe city announced the winners Tuesday with first place going to Bloomington resident Martina Celerin for "Breakfast in Bed." Diana Hoffman earned second place honors for "Sunset Drummettes." \nThird place winner and Bloomington resident Robert Forgas, who works in the IU Cyclotron Facility, entered a photograph titled "Soft Morning." Forgas said he took the picture on his way to work one day. The black and white, framed and matted print was of a tree in winter near Bloomington Speedway. \nForgas, who regularly enters photo contests, said that he enjoyed participating in the competition.\nThe 53 pieces entered had to capture the spirit of trees and to "celebrate Bloomington as a Tree City," said Maria Heslin, City of Bloomington communications director.\nA Tree City is defined by certain requirements outlined by the National Arbor Day Foundation, the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, according to the Bloomington city government Web site. \nTo maintain its status as a Tree City, Bloomington has housed the City of Bloomington Tree Commission, implemented a Tree Care Ordinance and budgeted at least two dollars per capita toward a Community Forestry Program, according to the Web site. In addition, the city must celebrate Arbor Day "with a special event and mayoral proclamation" to remain a Tree City.\nHeslin, who proposed the art contest, said that it was "just something that occurred to her." \nThe contest was designed not only to celebrate the city's distinguished title, but also "to give an opportunity to the many local artists," Heslin said, adding that the contest drew a nice variety of entries this year.\nThe contest was expanded this year to include artists from Monroe, Owen, Greene, Lawrence and Brown counties.\nArtists were invited to a reception at the City Hall atrium Oct. 24 "to celebrate the artists and their artwork," according to the city's Web site.\nWinners of the contest will have memorial trees planted in a city park, according to the Web site. Celerin, the first place winner, will also have a limestone plaque to accompany her tree.\nAs for next year, Heslin said the city does plan to hold the contest again, since this year's contest drew even more entries than last year's.\nHeslin said now that the artwork has moved to Tutto Béne, she misses it, and there were many comments from people at City Hall, that it was "something really nice to add to the work place"