In honor of National Arts in Education Week and to promote art and reading in the classroom, Alabama Power announces its first “Refrigerator Art” contest for students in Birmingham City Schools.

Students from Birmingham City Schools may create and submit original artwork now through Friday, Oct. 9. In connection with Alabama Power’s Brighter Minds education initiative, the theme of the contest will be reading and books.

Student artists will compete in three groups: kindergarten and first grade, second and third grade, and fourth and fifth grade. Five student finalists in each group and their schools will be recognized during a ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at Alabama Power’s Metro Central Appliance Sales and Service Center, 1313 Sixth Ave. N., Birmingham.

Both the parents and schools of the three winning students will receive a free Whirlpool refrigerator (or another appliance up to $1,000 in value) from Alabama Power Appliance Sales and Service. The winning students will receive a $30 gift certificate to Books-A-Million and their schools will receive a $1,000 donation from the Alabama Power Foundation to support their libraries.

“We are excited to partner with Birmingham City Schools to support arts education and reading through a competition that also benefits the students’ families and schools,” said Alabama Power Public Relations Director Houston Smith.

The four students who receive Honorable Mention in each age group will receive a certificate for a free large pizza from Davenport’s Pizza Palace in Mountain Brook and a $15 gift certificate to Books-A-Million. All finalists at the event will receive a Brighter Minds coloring book from Alabama Power.

Judges for the competition are Lauren Lake, chair of the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; renowned local artists Annie Kammerer Butrus and Steve R. Skipper; and Bobbie Knight, Alabama Power Birmingham Division vice president.

"I'm looking very much forward to taking part in the judging process of this great event,” Skipper said. “It's extremely refreshing to know that for generations, creativity is being expressed in the awesome field of fine arts."

For more information about Alabama Power’s Brighter Minds initiative, please visit www.powerofgood.com.