Call for Art Submissions!
Extended Deadline: May 30, 2019
Read below contest terms and rules before applying.
2018 HDI Visualizing Health Equity Winners
HDI MISSION, VALUES, AND APPROACH
The HDI works to advance health equity and reduce health disparities to ensure that everyone in Connecticut has the opportunity to enjoy good health and well-being.
HDI connects, supports, and serves resident and communities through individual, systems-level, and place-based strategies. We create rigorous evidence for action, build multi-sector coalitions, generate data that has practical use, and accelerate community-sourced innovations. We especially value social justice, youth input, and the power of art to amplify community voice and disrupt single stories about the truly underserved.
CONTEST THEME
This year’s contest theme will focus on “Hope & Opportunities.” Artists can choose to focus on specific populations, such as boys and men of color, women and girls of color, immigrants, people with disabilities, people living with HIV/AIDS, homelessness, LGBTQ+, and more.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE*
- Must be a Connecticut resident.
- Individuals 10 years and older, including students (middle school to college) and community members.
- Artists under the age of 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian to participate or submission will not be entered into contest.
* State of Connecticut employees are not eligible to participate.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
This opportunity is open to artists of all skill levels.
- Visual and non-visual art are welcome. Accepted mediums include drawings, illustrations, paintings, photographs, mixed media, collage, poetry, digital art, and spoken word.
- One submission per person or group.
- You may submit previously-existing artwork as long as you are the original artist or have formal permission from the artist to submit their work for this project.
- All artwork must be accompanied by a brief written explanation that includes your:
- Name
- City/town
- School and grade level (middle school and high school students only), or college and year (college students only).
- Title of your artwork
- Artist Statement: Please submit a statement describing how your artwork visualizes a community, neighborhood, or world of “hope and opportunities” and what you hope people will learn after viewing your art. Parents/teachers/guardians are encouraged to help young children with their art statement. Your written artist statement should be no more than 500 words and should be written in complete sentences.
- Non-English language submissions are encouraged.
HOW TO SUBMIT
- All artwork must be submitted in the following formats): Please provide clear photographs of all visual art (300 dpi high resolution), from multiple angles and showing close-up detail as appropriate. Creative writing should be submitted in PDF format and performance art or music should be submitted in video format.
- For visual art (JPG or PNG: high resolution files of at least 300 dpi, up to 3 multiple angles or showing close-up detail as appropriate.
- For nonvisual art/spoken word: Poetry pieces must be submitted in PDF format. Spoken word performance should be submitted in video format. Submit a link to your YouTube video via our entry form. The video will be reviewed and then shared on our YouTube channel. Spoken word piece should be no more than 90 seconds.
- Please include your first and last name in the file name of your submission.
- By submitting your art work for this project, you are granting non-exclusive lifetime permission for HDI to display, publish, and share your artwork in digital and print formats. This includes your artist statement. Full credit will always be given to the artist, and copyright will remain with the artist. Artwork submitted for this project will not be reproduced for purchase or profit.
- HDI cannot accept art that includes logos/branding of companies or organizations. Please exclude all logos from your submission before submitting.
- To apply, complete the online Entry Form.
SELECTION PROCESS
All entries will be evaluated based on originality, creativity, impact, clarity, style and structure. Eligible submissions, including the artist’s name and statement, will be displayed in a digital gallery on HDI’s website. Several entry winners will be chosen to present their work to state legislators, community leaders, physicians, researchers, the community at large and media at an in-person live gallery art show and reception. Artwork may be installed in community organizations throughout Connecticut and featured in HDI’s permanent online gallery. Artists under the age of 18 are required to be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the live gallery event.
If your submission is chosen for the digital gallery or live gallery show, we will notify you the week of June 3, 2019.
PRIZE
Prizes for selected winners are as follow:
- First Place: $500
- Second Place: $300
- Third Place: $200
INSPIRATION FOR YOUR ART WORK
- Live in neighborhoods or communities that don’t have convenient access to healthy foods
- Encourage communities to be more accessible for people with disabilities/functional limitations so that they can live in, move through, and interact within their environment
- Ensure that physicians, nurses and health workers are properly trained to care for people with disabilities/functional limitations
- Reducing stigma associated with health conditions, such as mental health, HIV, etc.
- Remove discrimination to access to health insurance, employment, housing, marriage, adoption, and retirement benefits for LGBT individuals
- Foster safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for children and families
- Reduce the confusion of health insurance plan selection
- Create community based programs geared towards fathers and sons, such as parenting education and support groups
- Develop community intervention strategies to break the cycle of violence and incarcerations
- Create supportive and safe environments in home, schools, and communities for early and middle childhood
- Create better ways to predict risk for autism in hopes of offering earlier treatment
- Eliminate language barriers that exist between immigrants and medical professionals to ensure better health care
- Increase health care use among immigrants
- Increase opportunity for jobs in underserved communities
If you need help understanding these instructions or have questions, please contact Trisha Pitter, Planning Specialist, at tpitter@uchc.edu.