By Katie Hudson-Martinez/reporter
With Barnett Shale gas company representatives flooding North Texas neighborhoods and wells being drilled by the hundreds, some residents are tired of feeling helpless and looking for ways to fight back.
Fort Worth Citizens Against Natural Drilling Ordinance (FWCanDo), a local organization of citizens who believe gas drilling is a threat to people, property and wildlife, is promoting a protest art competition Buzzworms in the Backyard scheduled at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center through December.
Don Young, the event sponsor who is contributing $1,000 of his own money for the prize pool, said he hopes to bring awareness to what he considers to be the full truth regarding the effects of natural gas drilling on a massive scale like what is happening in Fort Worth.
“There is some information out there, but most of it is being paid for by the oil and gas companies,” he said. “We want people to know the truth about what this is going to do to our city.”
The event is being judged by local artist Benito Huerta, associate professor and director/curator at UTA. The first-place winner will receive a $500 prize. The second-place winner will receive a $300 prize, and the third-place prize is $150. The children’s art competition winner will receive $50.
Entries into the competition must be original works of art following the theme of protest art against natural gas drilling. Entries must be no wider than 48 inches in any dimension and should be submitted in person at the Fort Worth Community Art Center Saturday, Dec. 1.
The exhibit will open Dec. 8 with an awards ceremony at 7 p.m. and will run through Dec. 29.
For more information on FWCanDo and the art competition, visit www.FWCanDo.org.
