YOUNG ARTISTS IN PREHISTORY – THE 1ST PALEONTOLOGICAL ART COMPETITION AT THE MUNICIPAL PALEONTOLOGICAL NATURAL PARK OF ITABORAÍ/RJ

THE 1st PALEONTOLOGICAL ART CONTEST OF THE PALEONTOLOGICAL MUNICIPAL NATURAL PARK OF ITABORAÍ/RJ

Abstract

The São José de Itaboraí Municipal Paleontological Natural Park is located in the geographic area of ​​the São José de Itaboraí Basin. This small basin was explored for over 50 years by the Mauá Portland Cement Company (CNCPM) for the extraction of limestone for the expansion and autonomy of the Brazilian cement industry. Due to its historical and scientific importance, mainly for the Science of Paleontology, in view of the fossiliferous character of its rocks - especially because it is the only one in the state of Rio de Janeiro to preserve vertebrate remains, the São José de Itaboraí Paleontological Park (PPSJI) was created. The Park was later integrated into the National System of Nature Conservation Units (SNUC) in 2018 as the São José de Itaboraí Municipal Paleontological Natural Park (PNMPSJI) in the full protection category. In 2019, a Management Council was established for the Park. With the aim of promoting scientific knowledge and raising awareness among children and young students in the state of Rio de Janeiro, the “1st PNMPSJI Paleontological Art Contest” was held in 2022, with the theme “Young Artists in Prehistory”. To this end, a notice was published by the event’s organizing committee, with the rules and deadlines. The drawings should depict, in an original way, landscapes from the period, scenes, animals and/or prehistoric plants. After the awards ceremony, which took place at the Municipal Department of Culture of Itaboraí, in July 2022, the unpublished works were exhibited there and made available on the PNMPSJI website. This first contest, in addition to promoting an increase in the number of visitors to the park, offered artistic incentives and contributed to the dissemination of scientific knowledge about this important natural heritage of Brazil, another of the wonders of the state of Rio de Janeiro.