Celebrating the Art of Labor and Other Social Movements
A contest for undergraduate students in New York City University of New York (CUNY) institutions.
The contest offers cash prizes in three different categories – poetry, essay, and fiction/non-fiction narrative. Each entry addresses (self-selected) topics which present the arts of the labor movement and/or related movements for social change and, simultaneously, showcase the creativity and imagination of CUNY students.
“Arts of the labor movement and/or related movements for social change” are broadly construed to include photographs, posters, buttons, banners and flyers as well as paintings, sculpture and other fine art celebrating work and/or generated by working people.
Students in good standing in any branch of the City University of New York are eligible to compete.
Lehman College Deans Timothy Alborn (Division of Arts and Humanities) and Deborah Eldridge (Division of Education), and Professor Terrence Cheng (Lehman, Department of English) will serve as contest coordinators. A panel of college professors who teach undergraduate students will review the entries and select winners. There will be three prizes in each category together with a number of honorable mentions. The contest will be announced and conducted during the Fall 2010 term with cash prizes awarded at a ceremony in Spring 2011.
Prizes in each category are as follows:
· First Place: $1500
· Second Place: $750
· Third Place: $300
· Honorable Mention: $100
Sponsored and funded by the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation, the contest addresses the foundation’s essential mission “to support innovative efforts to make social organizations and institutions more effective and more responsive to a broad range of human needs.” Winners will be honored at an award ceremony where prizes will be distributed.
Guidelines and Entry Procedures
Entries must be submitted by January 21, 2011 and must be type-written or word-processed and sent to the following address:
Writing Contest
c/o Labor Arts
17 West 17th Street, 9th fl.
New York, NY 10017
Entries will be judged by an impartial panel of City University of New York (CUNY) faculty who currently teach undergraduates. Representatives of the Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation and Labor Arts are ineligible to participate in the selection of winners. Entries will be judged according to originality, content and style. Students may enter as many of the three categories as they wish.
The Categories
Poetry. Poetry submissions may be based on any social theme of the student’s choice and presented from an artistic perspective. They should not exceed two pages in length. Examples of social themes include health care, abortion, the environment, gun control and immigration.
Essay. Presented from an artistic perspective, essays should be three to five pages (double-spaced) in length and may be written on one of the following (or some other topic):
The Wall Street Meltdown: Reshaping American Capitalism
Term Limits: Limiting Choices or Creating Opportunity?
Public Transportation: Available for All
Fiction/Non-Fiction Narrative: Students should identify entries as fiction or non-fiction. Submissions should be a narrative, three to five pages (double-spaced) in length, written from an artistic perspective and in either the first or third person. Entries may cover any topic of the student’s choosing. The following are suggestive topics only:
Why EFCA?
Consumer Power: Not Yet Here
Global Warming: Cooling It Off
Single Payer: Health Care for All Americans
For further information, please email Professor Terrence Cheng, professorcheng@gmail.com.