Refugee Youth Art Contest
In celebration of Welcoming Week 2024, we hosted our first-ever art contest in collaboration with two local resettlement agencies.
By Marisa Tesoro
You know those ideas that grip you? That hit you like lightning and give you goosebumps because you’re so excited to run with them? The ones that seem a little too big?
Well, this was one of those moments for our team.
Conception
We began brainstorming in February for World Refugee Day (June 20).
After a brainstorming session with the whole 18-person team, we formed a smaller committee of about 5-6 people to bring our ideas to life.
We continued to meet once a week until we settled on a couple initiatives to get off the ground, one of them being the art contest.
Initial Idea
At first, this was what we knew:
MO-ORA would purchase art supplies for refugee youth across Missouri and distribute those supplies around the first week of June.
We would work with our partners through either the Youth Mentoring (YM) or Refugee School Impact (RSI) programs to connect with refugee youth across Missouri.
Then, we would work with our YM or RSI “champions” on the ground to facilitate art workshops or creation days where refugee youth could learn about and practice using all the new supplies.
Next, participants could create and submit 1-3 pieces of art each along with a brief bio to provide a bit more information about themselves, including their name, age, and country of origin at the beginning of August.
Finally, members of the MO-ORA team would convene a committee to select three winners—1st, 2nd and 3rd places—before awarding prizes.
Following the contest, we also planned to hold regional showcases featuring the artwork. In the longer term, we also planned to use artwork in future MO-ORA promotional materials, such as postcards or tote bags, which was explained in the submission guidelines.
Ultimately, however, the real goal was much deeper: to provide young newcomers with an opportunity to discover and explore a passion they might not have a chance to otherwise. This initiative would also offer an opportunity for them to potentially express themselves in a new way, deepen connections among one another, and build relationships in their new communities.
“We’re All In” for a Theme
Welcoming Week is annual campaign launched by Welcoming America in 2012. This week is a call to come together as individuals and groups to celebrate our strengths and differences and foster welcoming communities for all.
This year, we adopted the Welcoming Week 2024 theme of “We’re All In” for our contest.
Intended to be the first half of a longer phrase, “We’re All In” is a chance to demonstrate what we are committed to. For MO-ORA, for this contest, we embraced the ideas of being “all in” for supporting well-rounded newcomers, for ensuring refugees have adequate support systems to thrive, for a Missouri that is welcoming to all.
Making it Happen
To bring such a lofty dream to life, we first ran the idea past one of the YM coordinators. With their buy-in, we then convened a meeting with the other YM coordinators across the state.
After gauging their interest, we proceeded to draft up and distribute the following documents:
Submission guidelines
Basic flyer for youth outreach
Supply request form
Permission slips (optional)
We researched art supplies to purchase and compiled them on the supply request forms for each local resettlement agency. Then, the YM coordinators entered quantities of items needed.
We ordered those items and shipped them directly to each agency. From there, the coordinators gathered their participants and recruited them to participate.
Members of the MO-ORA team retrieved each piece of art to be reviewed and photographed in person at our St. Louis office.
Instagram vs. Reality
We would love to say that absolutely everything went according to plan, and there were no unforeseen problems along the way. But we can’t. Here’s what we encountered and learned from:
YM coordinators had less capacity than they initially anticipated, and some were not able to participate in the end.
One of the YM coordinators quit during this time, and no one else was able to carry on the contest at that agency.
Did you know that art supplies are expensive? We sure did... not realize just how quickly things would add up.
Shipping mishaps and delays with supplies arriving at the agencies.
Less interest than anticipated from the YM participants.
Despite the hiccups and roadblocks along the way, newcomers from across the state still created spectacular, moving pieces of art. We feel lucky to have witnessed such expressions of beauty, pain, joy, resilience, and belonging.
We are so grateful for the “champions” of the contest at Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri-Refugee Services and the International Institute of St. Louis who were flexible as we navigated new territory and who worked with their clients to produce such beautiful artwork and submit everything by the deadline.
Amber Kemp, the Youth and Education Coordinator at CCCNMO Refugee Services, and Katherine Schoeberle, Teen Program Coordinator at IISTL, we thank you.
The Winner Is...
According to the submission guidelines, submitted artwork would be evaluated on the following criteria:
Creativity and Originality: How unique and innovative is the artwork? Does it showcase original ideas and perspectives?
Interpretation of Theme: How well does the artwork reflect the contest theme?
Emotional Impact: Does the artwork evoke emotions or create a connection with the viewer?
Technical Skill: How proficient is the artist in executing their artistic vision?
Keeping all that in mind, our panel of judges came to a decision and named the winners below. To see all the submissions, check out the gallery here.
1st Place
Sahar Hussaini, 21, Afghanistan
About her piece, she wrote: Suspended between worlds, migrants exist in a liminal space, neither fully belonging nor fully accepted. It feels to be in the air, hovering between two decisions, between leaving and staying, attachment and letting go, blackness and whiteness, forgetting and remembering. Your heart is always connected to the homeland you left for a new home you near reached.
2nd place
Sayra, 18, El Salvador
3rd place
Ana Kabwe, 23, Democratic Republic of the Congo
About her piece, she wrote: My art project draws inspiration from my IOM bag and the journey it symbolizes. The colors black and orange dominate the piece with black representing the war and fear I left behind and orange capturing the joy of a new beginning. The mix of these colors reflects the complex emotions of starting a new life, where hope is tinged with the remnants of past struggles. To add a personal touch, I incorporated the strings from my IOM bag into the artwork, a reminder of the fragile yet crucial role it played in my journey.
Winners received gift baskets with art supplies valued at $200, $100 and $50. All participants received a bundle of art supplies to further their artistic interests and pursuits.
Looking Ahead
We displayed the artwork at the Festival of Nations in August in Tower Grove Park, and we are still collaborating with the agencies on future display options. In the meantime, we are seeking to professionally photograph or scan some of the art. With those files, we hope to convert their artwork into prints, postcards, tote bags or other materials to help promote the well-being and inclusion of refugees across the state.
A few things remain to be worked out, but one thing is certain: We're so glad we ran with that lightning strike of an idea. We are so grateful to be doing this work.
To see all the submissions, check out the virtual gallery here.