Inuvik (May 15/06) - Now that there are 3,119 school-aged kids who have pledged to not be a "butthead," a travelling art contest aims to keep that challenge alive.

Lorraine Walton judges a poster during the Don't be a Butthead art contest's time in Inuvik. Using a checklist, she's looking for inventiveness and impact of message. - Chris Woodall/NNSL photo

The anti-smoking campaign called Don't be a Butthead started last year by asking for commitments to stop or stay away from smoking.

"For this year, we were looking for a way to keep the kids engaged and express their artistic feelings," said Miriam Wideman, in charge of health promotions for the Department of Health and Social Services.

About 200 entries - poster art, videos and music - were submitted for the contest. After an initial look-through, the remainder were exhibited in Inuvik May 5.

The exhibit moved to Hay River May 11-13. It will be in Fort Smith May 16-17 at the recreation centre; and finally in Yellowknife May 25-27 at the Centre Square Mall.

At each location, hometown hand-picked judges selected their favourites before the exhibition moved on.

But anyone could be a judge - all you had to do was fill in a ballot, worth a $100 gift certificate or a six-foot inflatable "Butthead" prize to kick around.

As for the winning entries, older student winners have a chance for their video, for example, to be produced professionally. Junior winners will capture a digital camera.

Group entry winners will get to split $250.

The contest planners had a surprise in store for themselves when a number of website designs were submitted in the video category.

"We weren't envisioning that," Wideman said, already thinking that another category may be in the works for next year.

The posters were drawings for the most part, with some collages of clipped photos in other works.

"I'm looking for something different that catches the eye and speaks to the kids of the North," said Jessica Starratt, a Grade 5 teacher at Sir Alexander Mackenzie school in Inuvik. She was one of the commissioned judges.

One of the "drop-in" judges was Daniel Jensen, 9, of Inuvik. When asked for his favourite, he pointed to "What's Worse," a poster in vivid purple and black by Angela Bernarde, 14, a Grade 7 student in Tulita.