March 6, 2012 — The University of Virginia Art Museum celebrates the culmination of the 25th annual Writer's Eye Poetry and Prose Competition with an awards ceremony, readings and reception at the Newcomb Hall Ballroom on March 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Writer's Eye is a competition that challenges writers of all ages to create original poetry and prose based on works on view in the museum. This year, author John Casey and poet Kevin McFadden judged entries for the high school and university/adult categories. Elementary and middle school categories were judged by a panel of local teachers and writers. First-, second- and third-place winners and honorable mentions in poetry and prose were selected from more than 1,400 entries received in four age categories.

Each year, first-, second- and third-place compositions are published beside the works that inspired them in a full-color anthology. This year's Writer's Eye anthology will be available for purchase at the event and starting March 25 in the museum, through its website and at the U.Va. Bookstore.

This program is a Virginia Festival of the Book event, and is supported by gifts from the Thomas L. Piper Education Endowment, Shirley S. French, the Robert Earll McConnell Foundation, Edith Warner and the Daniel M. and Wilma T. Horner Foundation, the U.Va. Art Museum Volunteer Board and New Dominion Books.

For information, call 434-243-2050 or e-mail museumoutreach@virginia.edu. The museum is located at 155 Rugby Road, one block from the Rotunda.