CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY 22nd ANNUAL HOLOCAUST ART & WRITING CONTEST
Submissions are now being accepted for the 22nd Annual Chapman Holocaust Art and Writing Contest, this year's theme is "Sharing Strength, Sustaining Humanity". If you are interested in participating, there will be a short Zoom Meeting on Wednesday 12/9/2020 at 2:30-3:00 PM. The link to the Zoom Meeting is listed below. Just click on the black box below that says "LINK TO ZOOM MEETING." As long as you're logged in through CLEVER, no password is required.
Contest Inspiration
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted our lives in ways we could never have imagined only a few months ago. Our challenges are very different from those faced by people during the Holocaust, but we too are experiencing fear, separation, and, in some cases, the loss of people we love. We are realizing that we are strengthened through our connectedness to those around us. Technology enables many of us to stay connected, but we have also learned that a virtual connection is a poor substitute for an in-person one. We miss the warmth we experience when we are together: talking over a meal, sharing a hug, or engaging in shared activities. Fostering truly meaningful connectedness through technology is harder than we expected.
As we listen now to the testimonies of those who endured the Holocaust, we may do so with a new sense of awe at how they found the strength to sustain connectedness. We may feel something of that same awe as we think of the first responders who have put their lives at risk to help others during this health crisis. Connectedness seems to be at the very core of what makes us human, what gives us strength and contributes to making us our best selves. When we sustain connectedness, we are creating a world very different from the cruel, cold world—the “world of ice” — experienced by Wiesel and so many others. Through sharing strength we sustain humanity.
The PROMPT:
1. Select and view one full-length survivor or rescuer testimony from any of the following:
- Chapman University’s Holocaust Art and Writing Contest website featuring video testimonies from the collection of the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education
- The 1939 Society
- USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education’s YouTube channel (“Full-Length Testimonies” playlists only)
2. As you listen to the survivor's or rescuer's testimony, and as you reflect on the stories they tell, write down a specific word, phrase, or sentence that speaks to the inner strength of this individual and the role of connectedness in sustaining strength.
3. As the person now entrusted with this individual's memory, through your creativity in art, poetry, prose, or film, explore this word, phrase, or sentence as central to the survivor's or rescuer's story, your understanding of the Holocaust, and your own search for inner and shared strength during the Covid-19 pandemic.
**Lists of testimonies that are one to two hours in length are listed on the last page of the Educator's Guide.
ART CRITERIA
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Entries must be submitted with an official cover sheet.
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Please do not staple, tape or otherwise attach the cover sheet to the artwork.
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Entries must reflect genuine engagement with the survivor ’s or rescuer's testimony in its historical context and constitute a thoughtful and creative response.
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Entries must be based on a survivor’s or rescuer’s testimony available from one of the following sources:
- The 1939 Society
- Chapman University’s Holocaust Art and Writing Contest website featuring video testimonies from the collection of the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education
- USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education’s YouTube channel (“Full-Length Testimonies” playlists only)
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Entries must be submitted with the artist’s statement that includes:
- Title of the work
- Name of survivor or rescuer to whose testimony this work is a response
- Statement of how the work addresses the prompt
- Statement must not include student or school name and must not exceed 100 words.
- Acknowledgment of sources – to protect copyright holders, proper citation of all sources is required. Permission for sources that are not public domain must be obtained in writing from copyright holder and submitted with entry.
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May be only two-dimensional image on medium no thicker than ¾” and submission must not exceed 12” x 18.”
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Artwork must not be matted or framed.
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Fixative spray must be applied to charcoal, pencil, pastel, and chalk art.
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May include photography, computer-generated images, or may be in charcoal, pencil, pastel, chalk, watercolors, acrylics, or oils. Please note that all images, whether computer, artist, or photo-generated are considered property of the original artist.
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Renderings of another’s work will be disqualified.
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Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.
FILM CRITERIA
- Entries may be submitted using the online submission form.
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Entries must reflect genuine engagement with the survivor’s or rescuer's testimony in its historical context and constitute a thoughtful and creative response.
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Entries must be based on a survivor’s or rescuer’s testimony available from one of the following sources:
- The 1939 Society
- Chapman University’s Holocaust Art and Writing Contest website featuring video testimonies from the collection of the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education
- USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education’s YouTube channel (“Full-Length Testimonies” playlists only)
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Entries must be submitted with the filmmaker’s statement including: Content viewing time may be no longer than three (3) minutes.
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- Title of the work
- Name of survivor or rescuer to whose testimony this work is a response
- Statement of how the work addresses the prompt
- Statement must not include student or school name and must not exceed 100 words.
- Acknowledgment of sources – to protect copyright holders, proper citation of all sources is required. Permission for sources that are not public domain must be obtained in writing from copyright holder and submitted with entry.
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Final file size must not exceed 600 MB.
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Submit film without credits for blind judging. A completed film with credits should be prepared in the event the film is selected for screening.
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Final films may be submitted using WeTransfer.com, a free file transfer website.
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To ensure compatibility with MAC and PC, please use either QuickTime or MPEG format.
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Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.
We are grateful to the Orange County Klezmers for making available to registered participants musical selections from their album Echoes of Vilna. To preview or to request tracks for use in a film entry, please email Jessica MyLymuk, [email protected].
Students wishing to use music, photos, video, or other artwork in their films should be aware that these may be protected by U.S. copyright law and therefore require permission from the artists to use them. Purchasing or downloading materials from a website is generally intended for personal and home use only and does not grant the purchaser the right to reproduce, perform, or display copyrighted works publicly. For any copyrighted works appearing in the film, permission must be obtained from the copyright holders and submitted with the entry.
POETRY CRITERIA
- Entries may be submitted using the online submission form.
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Entries must reflect genuine engagement with the survivor’s or rescuer's testimony in its historical context and constitute a thoughtful and creative response.
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Entries must be based on a survivor’s or rescuer’s testimony available from one of the following sources: Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.
- The 1939 Society
- Chapman University’s Holocaust Art and Writing Contest website featuring video testimonies from the collection of the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education
- USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education’s YouTube channel (“Full-Length Testimonies” playlists only)
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Entries must be titled.
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Entries must be word-processed.
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Entries must not include graphics, drawings or other images. It must be clear that the entry is a poem and not an artwork.
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Entries must not include reference to student or school name.
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Students should include the name of the survivor or rescuer about whom the entry is written.
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Entries may be no more than 30 lines.
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Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.
PROSE CRITERIA
- Entries may be submitted using the online submission form.
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Entries must reflect genuine engagement with the survivor’s or rescuer's testimony in its historical context and constitute a thoughtful and creative response.
-
Entries must be based on a survivor’s or rescuer’s testimony available from one of the following sources: Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.
- The 1939 Society
- Chapman University’s Holocaust Art and Writing Contest website featuring video testimonies from the collection of the USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education
- USC Shoah Foundation - The Institute for Visual History and Education’s YouTube channel (“Full-Length Testimonies” playlists only)
-
Entries must be titled.
-
Entries must be word-processed.
-
Entries must not include reference to student or school name.
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Students should include the name of the survivor or rescuer about whom the entry is written.
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Entries may be no more than 500 words.
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Entries that do not follow the criteria will be disqualified.