For the fourth consecutive year, the communities of Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester will celebrate Black History Month by encouraging area youth to celebrate through artistic expression: the Creative Expressions Contest.
And thanks to the nonprofit Tri-Town Against Racism, this nonprofit is ahead of the game, celebrating African American artistic expression, which is this year’s national theme, according to TTAR president Alison Noyce.
Noyce said that after TTAR formed in April 2020, the group conducted its first contest the following February, celebrating African American arts before it became a theme this year. Noyce said last year was a down year in terms of the number of submissions, but the quality was better, making it hard for judges to rank the top projects.
“There’s lots of options for the kids to explore,” Noyce said during a recent interview. “We are hoping to get junior high school and high school kids to dig into Black History Month – learn about the theme in a deeper way than without the contest.”
According to the TTAR website, entries must be no larger than 11 inches by 14 inches in size. Participants on the back of their work must indicate their name, school and age. All entries can be dropped off at Mattapoisett Free Library during library hours.
Noyce emphasized the educational aspect of the contest and how students in these towns will be able to conduct some deep research into individual African Americans and their contribution to American culture.
“It’s really a fun way to celebrate and share African Americans in the arts. We are going to have an awards ceremony, and all artwork will be displayed at Mattapoisett Free Library, and it will stay up until at least the end of the month,” Noyce said.
The deadline for submission is Thursday, February 22, at 4:00 pm. Late entries cannot be considered, according to a written release from TTAR.
Winners will be announced at the opening reception in the Mattapoisett Library Community Room on Saturday, February 24, at 2:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served, also according to that release.
The contest welcomes entries from any medium, encouraging students to express their creativity in diverse ways. Participants must be junior or senior high school students, living or attending school in the Tri-Town area during the 2023-24 school year, also according to a written release.
For more information on contest details, log into tritownagainstracism.org/contest-2024.
By Jeffrey D. Wagner