First Selectman Dan Rosenthal will announce the winner of a recent Reusable Bag Contest on Saturday, September 8.

The Newtown Environmental Action Team (NEAT) recently coordinated with Newtown Parks & Recreation on a contest for Newtown students in grades 1-12. Students were invited to create a Newtown-specific design that will be printed on reusable bags.

Ten finalists have been selected — Nicole Rinei Hawke, Samantha Hoffert, Allison Holden, Penelope Jackson, Kathryn Lynders, Adriana Russo, Steven Vournazos, Jacob Wallenta, Caleigh Ward, and Eren Weiss — and Mr Rosenthal will announce the winning design when NEAT also hosts the opening reception for its first exhibition next month.

One of NEAT’s focus areas is to provide local education and promote environmentally sound initiatives both within town and across the state. One such initiative is to pass a ban on single-use plastic bags, which are reportedly contributing to the eight million tons of plastic that end up in the oceans annually, causing the deaths of countless forms of vital sea life.

In order to spread awareness of the dangers posed by single-use plastic bags to the planet, NEAT, in coordination with Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, will present “In The Bag” at Newtown Municipal Center. The exhibition will trace the beginnings of the Reusable Bag Movement and present the growth of creative alternatives to plastic.

Featuring a selection of colorful reusable bags made from billboards, juice boxes, rice bags, and discarded plastic, the curators of “In The Bag” hope to introduce grassroots recycling movements sprouting up in small resourceful communities in the Philippines, Cambodia, India, and Central America.

The exhibition will also highlight the work of contemporary artists employing reusable processes and exploring the iconic and physical characteristics of plastic as a medium.

“In The Bag” will be on view in the main corridor of the municipal center, 3 Primrose Street, September 8-28. It can be viewed weekdays between 7:30 am and 5 pm and when the building is open for evening meetings.

The opening reception on September 8 will include Mr Rosenthal’s announcement of the winner of the design contest. The winning design will be printed on reusable bags that will debut that afternoon. They will also be available for purchase during the 7th Annual Newtown Arts Festival the following weekend, and at locations across town.

The gala celebration will also include the recitation of a poem by Newtown Poet Laureate Lisa Schwartz and light refreshments. It will run from 6 to 8 pm.