June 4, 2004
UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF 2004 STUDENT ART AND WRITING CONTEST
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Holocaust Museum announced the winners of the annual May Family Art and Writing Contest. Five written, five art and one media entries were awarded prizes by the judging committee. The media component was added to the contest this year. Students could choose from various media forms such as photography, video, and computer-related media to address this year’s theme. More than 2,800 students from 48 states and two military bases competed in this year’s contest.
Students were asked to identify the challenges hidden children, parents, and/or rescuers faced during the Holocaust and how they responded to those challenges. The question was chosen to complement the Museum’s special exhibition Life in Shadows: Hidden Children and the Holocaust that it is open to the public through September 6, 2004. Winners were selected from two divisions; Division I represents students in middle school, and Division II represents students from high school.
The writing winners are:
Division I (Middle School)
First Place: Alexa Bryn, 8th grade, R.A.S.G. Hebrew Academy, Hollywood, FL.
Second Place: Emily Rials, 9th grade, The Columbus Academy, New Albany, OH.
Third Place: Aleah Romer, 7th grade, Classical Kids Arts Program, Ocean Shores, WA.
Division II (High School)
First Place: Alexander Cohen, 12th grade, Flintridge Preparatory, Glendale, CA.
Second Place: Evan Elise Easton-Calabria, 9th grade, Roosevelt High School, Seattle, WA.
The art winners are:
Division II (High School)
First Place: Emma Green, 12th grade, Penney High School, Hamilton, MO.
Second Place: Anna Membrino, 12th grade, Episcopal High School, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Third Place (3-way tie):
Sheila Toy Brown, 12th grade, Coronado High School, Henderson, NV.
Julie Pisano, 12th grade, Wayne Valley High School, Wayne, NJ.
Jared McDade, 12th grade, Falmouth High School, East Falmouth, MA.
The media winner is:
Division II (High School)
First Place: Nathan Blair, 12th grade, Spotsylvania High School, Partlow, VA.
“The Museum offers its congratulations to all of the participants,” says Sarah Ogilvie, the Museum’s Director of Education. “The judging staff is highly selective in distributing awards. Up to three winners can be selected in each division category, but the standards are high, and sometimes the judges choose not to award all three prizes. The winning entries are most deserving.”
Entries are judged by a group of historians, educators, artists, writers, and Holocaust survivors. For both divisions, the judges evaluate works on the following criteria: content; historical accuracy and interpretation; originality; creativity; and presentation. First place winners receive $500 and a $150 gift certificate to the Museum Shop. Second place winners receive $250 and a $100 gift certificate to the Museum Shop. Third place winners receive $125 and a $50 gift certificate to the Museum Shop. All winners receive a Certificate of Achievement from the Museum. Teachers of the winning students also receive a selection of Holocaust-related books.
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national institution for the documentation, study and interpretation of Holocaust history, and serves as this country’s memorial to the millions of people murdered during the Holocaust. Since opening in April 1993, the Museum has welcomed more than 20.2 million visitors, including almost 6.5 million children.
