JUNETEENTH POSTER CONTEST
WHAT IS JUNETEENTH? ENTRY FORM
Juneteenth is an annual observance to celebrate the date Union soldiers enforced the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all remaining enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. Texas was one of the last states in rebellion, following the end of the Civil War, to allow enslavement. Although the rumors of freedom were widespread prior to this, actual emancipation was not announced in the last few states practicing enslavement until the “black men with guns told US that we are free.” They were the United States Colored Troops (USCT), who came, “like a storm pushing Jonah…[was] the USCT push to Galveston.” They along with General Gordon Granger issued General Order #3, on the “19th of June,” in Galveston, Texas, almost two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Hence the name “JUNETEENTH.”
Enslaved Africans were not free during the signing of the Declaration of Independence nor for nearly a century afterwards; therefore, Juneteenth Independence Day completes the cycle of America’s Independence Day observations where people of all ethnic and racial backgrounds can celebrate their heritage and freedom. Therefore, Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day.
Not only a one-day celebration, Juneteenth presents a celebration of how African Americans have sought to affirm their creativity and humanity through music, poetry, literature and other forms of the arts. Most importantly, Juneteenth represents a holistic, full telling of Black American history and a thorough understanding of Black agency (self-determination) and the way African Americans have continuously fought for their rights and persevered. Effective understanding of African American history and the Black experience will not be achieved until there is integration of African American history and perspectives into the curriculum of schools and colleges.
Juneteenth is currently recognized as a state holiday in 47 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. The plan is to make it an international holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States…and around the world!.
THE CHALLENGE Create a poster that is symbolic of the historical journey African Americans in the United States have had to travel for rights, freedom, education, self-expression, heritage, liberation and equality. You may choose a single theme or multiple themes.
GOALS The goals of the Poster Juneteenth Contest are:
- to stimulate young people to learn about, reflect on, and express what Juneteenth means to them;
- to encourage old and young people to educate their communities about the many aspects of Juneteenth, and
- to heighten awareness about the celebration of Juneteenth and celebrate it in your own community.
ELIGIBILITY The contest is open to everyone over the age of 18 years old. We are strongly encouraging college/university students to submit their work. There will be a special calendar produced for young people from kindergarten through high school. Individual, class, or group entries are accepted.
RECOGNITION Winners will be announced at the National Juneteenth Conference, in Tulsa, OK. First-place winners will receive a $300 cash prize. All winning posters will be featured in the 2021 Juneteenth calendar and shall be displayed in an online gallery on the National Juneteenth website and at the National Juneteenth Conference. Local displays are also encouraged (e.g., schools, public libraries, town hall, events, etc.), however, original art must be submitted prior to the deadline indicated below.
TIMELINE Deadline for Posters: Midnight APRIL 19, 2021. Winners selected for the online gallery will be notified the first week of MAY 2021 Public announcement of selected artists and public posting to the online gallery will be on MAY 31, 2021.
JUDGING: All posters will be judged on creativity, originality, appropriateness, and relationship to the theme. A team of distinguished professional artists and Juneteenth Board Members will select works to be featured in the online gallery. Judges’ decisions are final.
OWNERSHIP OF ARTWORK Ownership of the original artwork submitted for the contest will remain with the artist. However, the National Juneteenth Committee reserves the right to reproduce and publish all artwork submitted for this contest for educational, promotional and marketing use.
CONTEST GUIDELINES:
GUIDELINES FOR POSTERS
- All posters must be explicitly related to the theme Juneteenth.
- Posters may include photography, collage, and mixed media.
- All posters should be the original work of the artist(s). Submissions that incorporate the works of others should conform to US copyright law. The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation shall not be responsible for copyright violations committed by submitting artists.
- Dimensions of 11×17 for the original poster
- Language and all depictions shall be suitable for young audiences.
- All electronic submissions must be converted to PDF or JPEG format before submitting
- Posters may be submitted individually or as a set or group (e.g., from all members of a class; different versions of the same theme;
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
- All submissions must be made electronically. Individual files larger than 25 megabytes, MUST be uploaded by Dropbox.com, et al.
- A person may submit more than one submission. In addition, a person may also be part of one group submission.
- Each poster submissions must be accompanied by the online Poster Competition Entry Form:
- Name,address, contact information, title of entry, description of the art must and signature must be included on the entry form. (Artists may request that their names be withheld from the online gallery).
- Medium/media used
- Brief (150-word) statement that explains the artist’s and/or poster’s relation to Juneteenth
- For a group project of several adult artists, each artist must fill out a separate Entry Form.
FOR THE YOUTH CATEGORY—All submissions by individual artists under 18 must be accompanied by a signed Parental Permission Slip. Signature must be made by a parent or guardian. A teacher or adult group leader may sign for a class or club project. With an affirmation statement that the submission is the artist’s original work, signed by the artist.
For class or club project, a teacher or adult sponsor may fill out one Entry Form for the group. Each group submission should identify the name of the group (e.g., class, school, club, etc.), their grade or age level, and their location.
LICENSE/USE OF ENTRIES: By submitting an entry, and to the extent allowed by law, you grant the Released Parties a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, sub licensable, unconditional and transferable license to edit, modify, cut, rearrange, add to, delete from, reproduce, encode, store, modify, copy, transmit, publish, post, broadcast, display, adapt, exhibit and/or otherwise use or reuse your Entry, name, finalist Entry (if applicable), and biographical material including, but not limited to, all materials submitted in connection with the Contest in any and all media, throughout the world, and in any manner, for trade, advertising, promotional, commercial, or any other purposes without further review, notice, approval, consideration, or compensation to entrant or any third party.
GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating, each entrant agrees: (a) to abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor and Judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Contest; (b) to release, discharge and hold harmless KHAFRE, INC / NJOF, or their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, distributors, and advertising and promotion agencies, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and representatives of the foregoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, including *death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from entrant’s participation in the Contest or any Contest related activity or the acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any awarded prize; and (c) to the use of his/her name, voice, performance, photograph, prize information, image and/or likeness for programming, advertising, publicity, trade and promotional purposes in any and all media, now or hereafter known, worldwide and on the Internet, and in perpetuity by Sponsor and its designees, without compensation (unless prohibited by law) or additional consents from entrant or any third party and without prior notice, approval or inspection, and to execute specific consent to such use if asked to do so.