General Information...

The Culture Shapers Visual Arts Contest is an annual event for all high school students in Harris, Waller, Liberty, Chambers, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties. The contest features seven categories: Film, Electronic Media, Photography, Painting, Drawing, Mixed Media and Sculpture.

The entry day for the Sculpture category was Saturday, December 8th. The remaining six categories were received between December 13th and 15th. Students receive a commemorative t-shirt with their entry fee of $15. Entry forms will be available for download from the website as we get closer to the contesnt, and parents, students or teachers deliver the entries to the drop-off location.

Each year, the Culture Shapers Volunteer Staff receive about 1,500 entries! This year, jurying took place on three Sundays: Sculpture on December 9, and all other categories on January 6 and 13.

The top ten finalists in each category will be personally invited to the exclusive Visual Arts Awards Ceremony, where the winners will be finally announced!

Evaluation Criteria...

The entries will be evaluated on the following four criteria...

• Technique - The use of media and tools (execution and technical skills). The student chooses and controls media and tools effectively to enhance the appearance of the work.
• Personal Expression - The level of imagination, creativity and individuality. The expression is unique and the concept presented in a fresh way that is imaginative and inventive.
• Organization - The use of elements and principles of art, effectively choosing those which enhance the overall appearance of the work.
• Integration - The work integrates technique, expression, and organization through aesthetic and critical judgment to achieve an effective interpretation of the purpose.

Advancement Rounds...

Due to the large number of entries, the first step in the jurying process is to narrow the field. This is achieved through two or more "advancement rounds," during which time the jurors are each given an equal number of tags to place on the pieces they feel should advance to the next round of jurying. The first round advances a total of 75 entries per category. All of the First Round Finalists are awarded a certificate of recognition. The final round advances only 15 entries per category.

Top Fifteen Evaluation...

When the final 15 are all that remain, the jurors sit down and complete an individual scoring and evaluation sheet on each entry, including positive feedback to the student as well as constructive criticism. A numerical score (1-50) is awarded to the entry in each of the four criteria above. The total numeric score determines the placement of the entry, subject to the unanimous consent of the jurors. The jurors may decide to further advance an entry, but may only do so if they are unanimous in this decision.

Why 15 Finalists?

When the final order has been determined, we begin a process of "due diligence" to verify the eligibility of the winners and their artwork. There are two phases: a 48-hour probationary period during which time the finalists are placed on the website (in alphabetical order) for the public to review followed by an actual phone conversation with the student and his/her teacher to verify that the student created the entry him/herself.

In the unfortunate event that an entry must be removed, all the remaining pieces advance one position, which is why we select 15 finalists during the jurying process. The 11th thru 15th place winners are awarded Honorable Mention and are displayed on our website, along with the top 10 finalists.

About the Jurors...

Three to five jurors are selected in each of the contest's seven categories. Jurors may evaluate only one category. Jurors are not permitted to learn the origin of any entry and that information is kept hidden until after the jurying is complete.

Culture Shapers jurors are a combination of educators and professionals, who come highly recommended to us by other notable organizations, such as the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE), as well as others. Many of our jurors have experience both in and out of the classroom, which gives them a unique and valuable perspective on evaluating student artwork. Complete bios on the jurors are available on the individual category pages.

We are thrilled with the quality and results of both our jurors and the jurying process, although we are continually looking for ways to improve this critical area. If you have suggestions, please feel free to contact us!

Questions? Click here to email us!