International Art Competition Invites Youth to Let Talents Shine

In Doctrine and Covenants 115:4–6, the Lord calls to action all the people of His Church, inviting them to “arise and shine forth” so that their “light may be a standard for the nations.” He asks them to join together to support one another and become “a refuge from the storm.”

Echoing this call, the Church History Museum invites the youth of the Church ages 13 to 18 to participate in the museum’s first International Art Competition for Youth. For several years the museum has held an international art competition for adult Church members, but a similar experience is now opening to youth in this new competition.

Youth are challenged to create works of art that express what the Lord’s request—“arise and shine forth”—means to them. The museum began accepting entries on Monday, January 2, 2012.

“No matter how imperfect our youth may perceive their artistic talents to be, it is remarkable how something as simple as a drawing, a photograph, or a sculpture can touch another person’s spirit and become a great source of spiritual strength to them,” said Angela Ames, assistant curator of education at the museum. “And as the youth use their creative talents to spiritually edify and inspire others, they too will be inspired.”

Any artwork submitted to the competition must have been created after January 1, 2009. Entrants can submit their work online until Friday, June 1, 2012. Each artist may submit one piece to the competition. Submission information and guidelines can be found at lds.org/youthartcomp.

All artistic media and styles are welcome in the competition—paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, metalwork, textiles, jewelry, pottery, and so forth. According to contest rules and requirements, “a worldwide range of cultural and aesthetic traditions may be expressed in the artwork. Both symbolic and literal artistic interpretations are welcome.”

Soon the contest site will launch an interactive video, under the section “Your Creative Process,” that young artists can reference if they need help brainstorming an idea or deciding how to convey their idea.

Following two rounds of judging by a multimember jury, winners will be chosen and asked to send their original art to the museum. Their entries will be shown in an exhibit that will run from November 16, 2012, through June 17, 2013.

Of those pieces of art shown in the exhibit, up to 20 will receive Merit Awards, given to recognize outstanding work, and three will receive Visitors’ Choice Awards, which will be given shortly before the exhibit closes.

Youth of the Church ages 13 to 18 are invited to submit art to the first art competition for youth.