SJM 2023 Juneteenth Design Contest
***DEADLINE EXTENDED TO APRIL 21st***
Do you like to draw and use your imagination to create new designs? Social Justice Matters, Inc. announces a contest for artists in grades K-12 with you in mind! There are prizes, and winners will be honored at our Juneteenth Celebration! Winning designs will be featured on items at our Juneteenth celebration, and even throughout the year on SJM communications.
Designs should reflect SJM’s 2023 Juneteenth theme:
“Let Freedom Ring: Celebrating Our Heritage and Continuing the Struggle for a Brighter Future”
Sankofa (from the Twi Language of Ghana) – to retrieve; go back and get
“It is not taboo to go back and fetch what you forgot.” – Akan Proverb
We celebrate our heritage to understand who we are as individuals but to also understand our part and place in the collective whole in the global society. Our heritage encompasses the values, traditions, and culture that has been passed down from generation to generation. Celebrating our heritage breathes life and meaning into our identities and the knowledge of who we are. It is our duty to learn, nurture, and collect the artifacts and the stories that tell others of our past so that we will not be forgotten. This year’s theme encourages and requires us to be bold and go back to our ancestral roots to retrieve what we have forgotten and reminds us that there is no shame in looking back. Looking back on our past provides us with the insight and wisdom to understand where we are in the present moment and gives us the direction and perseverance to move forward to ensure a brighter future for the next generations.
Eligibility
1.The design contest is open to Union County residents in grades K-12. Each grade band will design for a specific item:
a. Grades K-4 will create a design that will be printed on a T-shirt.
b. Grades 5-8 will create a design that will be the central quilt piece on the 2023 Freedom Quilt.
c. Grades 9-12 will create a design to be printed on Commemorative Ad Journal (cover).
2. Family members of SJM Board Members and Juneteenth Committee members are not eligible to participate in the contest.
3. The Contest is open only to individuals. The Contest is not open to companies, educational institutions, organizations, etc. or to groups associated with such institutions.
4. Contestants are permitted to work in groups; however, only one (1) prize per grade band will be awarded regardless of group size.
Design Guidelines
The logo should incorporate the SJM name, abbreviated or spelled out.
Entries must be submitted as high resolution files. The limit on attachment sizes for our email is 10MB.
Contestants should submit their designs as PDFs (300 dpi), which is a standard size. Winners may be contacted if we need to use their original files, so please save your artwork in the format you created them in (preferably jpg, ai, or png ). Contestants should limit themselves to 4 colors or black and white, with the knowledge that the winning designs will be shown on a white (t-shirt) or light-colored background. Contestants are advised to avoid gradients and half-tones.
The Juneteenth Committee will select the finalists based on adherence to the guidelines stated in this document.
Submission Guidelines
The contest is open from February 6, 2023 and closes on March 31, 2023. Late submissions will not be considered.
All entries must be submitted electronically to SJM via google doc. Click here for full details.
Will accept 1-3 submissions per person (or collaborative group). Each submission must be sent in a separate email.
Entries which fail to meet our guidelines will be rejected.
We will attempt to acknowledge all entries within one week of receipt; however, we cannot be responsible for entries or responses lost via Google form.
There is no fee to enter the contest.
Please send an email to sjmdesigncontest@gmail.com, if you have any questions.
Determination of Winner and Prize
The winning entries will be selected by a panel of Juneteenth committee members. Their decision will be final and no further correspondence shall be entered into.
Entries will be judged on their visual appeal, adherence to the concept prompting the contest, quality of design.
The prize for the winning entry for each grade band is a $25 gift card and a grab bag with the item they designed. This prize remains the same regardless of the size of the team submitting the winning entry.
The winners will be recognized at the Juneteenth ceremony, with the consent of a parent or a guardian.
The winner will be notified via email and announced on the SJM Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/SJMForum), with the consent of a parent or a guardian.
