LOS ANGELES, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced the winners of the 2010 African American Heritage Month Poster Competition and presented awards to the student-artists who participated in this year’s contest. Wells Fargo, the official sponsor of the poster competition, announced the “Best in Show” winner.

“Being creative is not just about putting paint to canvas, it’s about dreaming big and reaching high,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “I hope this poster competition will serve as an encouragement and an inspiration for all of you to continue writing creatively.”

Begun in 2007 as part of a month of events and celebrations commemorating African American heritage, the poster competition invites students from kindergarten through high school to explore African American history and express themselves creatively. The theme for this year’s contest was African American Empowerment: Remembering the Past…Writing the Future.

Over 600 entries were submitted by students at local public, charter and private schools. Local community recreation centers and Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs also encouraged young people to participate.

The African American Heritage Month Poster Competition is a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s Office, Wells Fargo, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the 2010 African American Poster & Writing Subcommittee.