STUDENTS' ART CONTEST

On behalf of Acercamiento Hispano de Carolina del Sur, I would like to encourage you to participate in InspirARTE, our organization’s second art contest fundraiser. In Spanish, inspirarte means “to inspire you.” It is our hope that this opportunity will not only inspire the talented students around us, but also help us improve the lives of those within the Hispanic/Latino community.

As the center of the InspirARTE project, we have invited various established professional artists to contribute their talents to our cause. In order to involve the community and cultivate cultural awareness, we are encouraging students to showcase their skills as well. For the up-and-coming student artist, it is a wonderful opportunity both to be recognized for the talent they possess and to experience the professional art scene from the inside.

The student art contest is designed to target students in the Richland, Lexington, Newberry, and Fairfield counties. In order to cultivate cultural awareness and link our project to its cause, we have selected four prominent Hispanic/Latino artists to become the basis for the students’ pieces (see attached rules). Each applicant is invited to paint his or her own reflection of one of the four artists’ work. Students will then be divided into three categories: middle schools, high schools and colleges. Acercamiento Hispano de Carolina del Sur must receive all applications no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 11, 2004. A reception will be held for the winners and professional artists, which will be a wonderful chance for the students to meet the professionals who selected their work. The prizes for the student art competition are as follows:

· First Prize: $100.00
· Second Prize: $ 75.00
· Third Prize: $ 50.00

Acercamiento Hispano de Carolina del Sur is a non-profit organization with the overall goal of preserving the dignity, promoting the well-being and improving the quality of life of the Hispanic/Latino community in South Carolina. As an organization that works with this growing population, we have taken an integral role in educating young people about Latin American art (see attached rules) because it is such a wonderful reflection of the Hispanic/Latino culture. We hope that you and your students will review the enclosed rules and information and join us in this celebration of Latin American art!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Ivan Segura or Irma G. Santana at (803) 714-0085.

Gracias, y esperamos que los hayamos inspirado.

Irma G. Santana
Executive Director