Illinois art contest asks students to explore their visions of home
Contest open to students K thru 12

 

[January 09, 2023]   “Home” means something a little different to each person. Illinois students get to explore their visions of home in the annual statewide art contest sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and the Illinois State Board of Education.

Students have until Jan. 12 to submit entries on the theme of “Home is …” The contest asks children from kindergarten through high school to interpret the theme however they want in two-dimensional art, such as a drawing, painting or collage.

The contest has four age groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. Each age group will have a winner and two runners-up. The winners will be announced March 13 to commemorate Arts Education Week.

All winners and runners-up will have their work displayed by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for the rest of the year, and the artwork chosen as “best of show” will be used on a poster sent to schools to celebrate Arts Education Week. The winner will also be recognized at an ISBE Board meeting, and a framed copy will hang in the Board office.

“For some, home is a house or a neighborhood. For others, it means family or friends. It can even be a cherished place that somehow brings a sense of belonging,” said Christina Shutt, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. “We’re excited to see how students explore this powerful idea in the art they submit.”
 

The ALPLM will present a special exhibit next year called “Here I Have Lived: Home in Illinois.” With artifacts, photos and rare documents, it will look at different ways people have made Illinois their home over the centuries.

Contest submissions may be up to 14 inches by 11 inches. They cannot feature copyrighted characters such as Batman. More details are available at bit.ly/ALPLM-ArtContest. Entries do not have to be submitted via schools; youth groups, home-educated children or anyone else can participate. All that is required is that the artist is a student at any public, private, alternative, or home school in Illinois.

“My vision for all Illinois students is that they feel at home in our schools – that they feel like they are valued and they belong,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Carmen I. Ayala. “Arts Education Week reminds us of the importance of equitable access to the arts for students to develop their curiosity, creativity, and self-expression. I hope all our art teachers across Illinois encourage students to submit their designs for the annual Arts Education Week poster contest and tell us what ‘home’ means to them.”

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in Lincoln’s life and times. The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.

For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.

The mission of the Illinois State Board of Education is to provide leadership and resources to achieve excellence across all Illinois districts by engaging legislators, school administrators, teachers, students, parents, families and other stakeholders in formulating and advocating for policies that enhance education, empower districts and ensure equitable outcomes for all students. Its vision of Illinois is a state of whole, healthy children nested in whole, healthy systems supporting communities wherein all people are socially and economically secure.

[Christopher Wills]