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The wait is over, and we now know the winners of Goleta Valley Library’s 2026 Creek Week Art Contest! More than 50 artists of all ages participated in the contest this year and created submissions based on the theme, “Story Beneath the Surface: Art Inspired by Our Creeks, Oceans, and Watersheds”. The winners were announced at a reception held Friday evening, September 25th at the Goleta Community Center.
Winners were selected based on the artwork’s relevance to the theme, overall appearance, and originality in three age categories. New this year, artists were invited to submit an optional written element, telling their story about what inspired them to make their art or their artistic process.
Mayor Paula Perotte and guest judge Elizabeth Flanagan, former Goleta Valley Art Association President, had the incredibly challenging job of selecting the winners.
Here are the 2026 Creek Week Art Contest Winners:
Children (6th grade and below)
- 1st Place – Brinley Kiefer
- 2nd Place – Nyra Mishra
- 3rd Place – Brinley Walter
- Honorable Mention – Riley Catalano
- Honorable Mention – Holland Johnson
Teens (7th -12th grade)
- 1st Place (tie) – Luke Paterson
- 1st Place (tie) – Kendall Switzer
- 2nd Place – Aishani Mishra
- Honorable Mention – Tobyn Richter
Adults (18+)
- 1st Place – Kimberly Calaprice
- 2nd Place – Jennifer Quito Alvarez
- 3rd Place – Bill Quirk
- Honorable Mention – Morgan Propst
- Honorable Mention – Carol North Dixon
- Honorable Mention – Vicki Lee
- Honorable Mention – Pablo Suarez
We encourage you to go check out the artwork for yourself, now through THIS Wednesday, September 30th. The Goleta Community Center (GCC), located at 5679 Hollister Avenue, is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Congratulations to all our community participants! Special thanks to Creek Week Art Contest Coordinator Sharon Nigh for coordinating another incredible event this year.
The GCC is available for non-profits and other user groups to display art and other culturally important displays. To learn more, please email communitycenter@cityofgoleta.
Learn more about Goleta Valley Library and its programs by visiting http://www.GoletaValleyLibrary.org.
Attached: Press release in Spanish and photos from the event:
- Group Photo of the 2026 Creek Week Art Contest Winners
- 1st Place Children’s Category Winner Brinley Kiefer
- 1st Place Co-Winner Teen Category Luke Paterson
- 1st Place Co-Winner Teen Category Kendall Switzer
- 1st Place Winner Adult Category Kimberly Calaprice
