Cos Cob Margaret Phillips entry of crocheted lighthouses is the fourth-place winner in the “Festival of Lighthouses Contest” at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.
Phillips takes home $300 for her entry, “Lighthouse Island,” which captures a scene that rises from the ocean floor up to an island with five lighthouses. It’s unique because everything in it is crocheted: the octopus, flounder and sea stars on the sea floor; the colorful variety of fish hanging in the mid-water level; and the water, sandy island, trees and lighthouses on top.
The 13th annual holiday display ran from Nov. 22 to Jan. 19, and featured 24 large model lighthouses built by local artists, students and hobbyists. The contest’s winners are chosen by Aquarium visitors, who enjoy the lighthouses in the aquarium galleries and then vote for their favorite. More than 12,200 votes were tallied in this most recent display, which – as always – attracted a collection of widely creative works.
At a Jan. 22 ceremony at The Maritime Aquarium, prizes also were awarded to:
• first place ($1,500) – “Black Rock,” a lighthouse made of intricately cut stone, by Pedro Davila, a mason from White Plains, NY
• second place ($750) – “Imagine Dragons” by woodworker David Bishop of Stamford.
• third place ($375) – “Frozen,” featuring characters from the Disney movie, by Amye Huizinga of Danbury.
“Once again, we were able to offer Aquarium visitors a very fun and creative holiday display, all thanks to the thought and effort that our contestants put into their lighthouses,” said Chris Loynd, marketing director. “For that, we are very honored and grateful.”