Paper Mache
Truth be told, I have always had mixed feelings about art competitions especially when young people are involved. Is it fair to judge a student who has put their heart and soul into a work only to have them chosen as “the last winner” in the words of George Carlin? Then again, I am open to persuasion.
Last week, I attended the Congressional Art Competition ceremony held each year by outgoing Congressman John Garamendi. It was the first such event since the onset of the pandemic, and it was great to be at the UC Davis Alumni Center filled with enthusiastic students, families, and friends.
Thoughtfully arranged around the room were the more than 50 works entered into the competition by high school students from seven of the district’s counties. The first-place winner’s piece will hang in the halls of Congress and the secondplace work will hang in the Congressman’s office, both for one year. The Congressman took time with every student present to ask about their artwork and what it meant to them. All students were recognized for participating along with the many educators in the room.
So maybe art contests aren’t that bad after all. I read this the other day and have to agree that art contests do offer children some great life lessons. “Every contest has guidelines and a deadline – a specific goal to work toward. The process of creating the artwork itself builds self-confidence. The art children enter should be their best work teaching them that no matter what they do, they should do it well. If they win, there’s the fun of the reward and learning to be a gracious winner. If they don’t win, there’s the lesson of dealing with disappointment and being a good sport. Win or lose, when a child creates a piece of art and enters it in a contest, they have tried, which is the first step to success.”
Kinda like that Teddy Roosevelt quote about the guy who keeps getting back in the arena daring greatly. More at yubasutterarts.org.