Two artists from Niagara-on-the-Lake and one from St. Catharines artist have been selected as the winners of this year's hydro box beautification project.

The competition, held by the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara-on-the-Lake Hydro, the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre and the town's Communities in Bloom committee, is aimed at beautifying hydro boxes around NOTL.

This year’s competition winners are Julia Kane of St. Davids, Lois Stevens of Niagara-on-the-Lake and Shelley Locke of St. Catharines.

Each winner will receive a $500 prize, courtesy of NOTL Hydro.

The winning designs will be displayed on hydro boxes in front of the NOTL Community Centre, near the Anderson Lane fire station and near The Village shopping plaza on Niagara Stone Road.

The competition was open to artists who live, work or operate in Niagara Region.

There were 17 submissions to the competition, which was juried by a panel of individuals from the host organizations, the Town of NOTL said in a media release.

“I want to congratulate the winners and thank them for their beautiful contributions to our town,” said Lord Mayor Betty Disero.

“I look forward to seeing these works of art on our hydro boxes,” she added.

Tim Curtis, president of NOTL Hyrdo, said, “All the designs submitted were of excellent quality and reflected the Niagara experience.”

“Besides beautifying the hydro boxes, this competition showcases the amazing creative talent in our community.”

As in the 2019 competition, an exhibition of the original artworks submitted will take place at the Pumphouse from now to Oct. 31. The public is invited to view and purchase the works.

The Niagara Pumphouse is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.