According to their website, any medium is accepted as long as it’s formatted in an 11 inches by 4 inches vertical format. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 10 and artists can submit up to five entries.
“The winner’s art will be something that reflects an appreciation of the area and Manhattan itself,” Vernon Henricks, CEO of GMCF, said. “There is a criterion, but it’s about the beauty of the art.”
The winning poster will be announced on March 20 during the Community Foundation Awards in the Hilton Garden ballroom. Copies of the artwork will be sold for $25 donations to the Community Arts Fund, a new grant program that sponsors art projects within the community. Additional donations are always welcome.
“The inspiration for the Community Arts Fund was based on a gift from the Lincoln and Dorothy Deihl endowment, which was a fund focused on the youth, basic human needs and the arts,” Henricks said. “The poster contest continues to emphasize the joy and appreciation of art in the community that the Deihls had.”
Kendra Kuhlman, director of program development, said all of the money raised for the Community Arts Fund is granted back into the community for public art projects.
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“Before the Community Arts Fund, we weren’t getting applications for art in Manhattan,” Kuhlman said. “So we took one-third of the Lincoln and Dorothy Deihl fund and used it specifically for promoting public arts in Manhattan.”
Kuhlman said the GMCF is working hard to inspire the Manhattan area to support the arts.
“We love to see students apply,” Kuhlman said. “We actually extended the deadline to the 10th so that some of the students and artists had more time to work.”
Abigail Hisel, sophomore in pre-professional secondary education, said she thinks this is a great opportunity for students.
“Art in the community makes the community richer — it adds to the community,” Hisel said. “My mom is an artist, so I’m really appreciative of artwork.”
Hisel said even if a student doesn’t win, it’s a great way for them to express themselves.
“I think a lot of students need help with money and opportunities to affordably grow in their artistic ability,” Hisel said. “The reward is more than money.”
The Community Arts Fund has sponsored projects at the Manhattan Arts Center and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, as well as murals around the area.
“Art creates a sense of place and pride for both residents and visitors,” Kuhlman said. “It provides opportunities for conversation and for expressing community diversity, and we hope to keep bringing in opportunities for more art.”
To learn more about the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation and the Commemorative Poster Contest, visit their website.
Editor’s note: In the original online version of the article, the photo’s caption and a link to the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation lingered at the bottom of the article. This extra text has now been deleted, and the Collegian apologizes for any confusion it may have caused.
