What makes up Coos County? Rugged coastal mountains fringed with stands of tall timber? People playing in the dunes?  Tidal estuaries, an enormous bay?

The Coos County Cultural Coalition will be sponsoring a Cultural Coalition Design Contest. To enter, draw a picture, take a photograph, write a poem, concoct a phrase, create a sculpture, that tells something about the culture, the heritage, or the natural resources of Coos County.

Think about the ways to preserve, protect and portray the county. Put your ideas on a piece of 8.5 by 11 inch paper.  

The coalition will select a design from each category to be reproduced on a variety of T-shirts. The categories will be:

* preteens (12 years and younger).

* teens (13 to 18 years old).

* adults (19 and up).

In addition, visitors to the Fun Festival on Sept. 20 will have the chance to vote for their favorite design, for the Community Choice Award, chosen from all entries.  

To learn more, stop by the coalition’s booth on Aug. 23-24 during the Blackberry Arts Festival, or go on line to www.ccculturalcoalition.org.

Entry forms can be found and contest entries delivered to Coos Historical and Maritime Museum in North Bend, the Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay, the Coquille Valley Sentinel in Coquille and the Port of Bandon office.