Archdiocesan ‘Merciful like the Father’ art contest now open
January 12, 2016
HOUSTON — The Archdiocese is holding an art contest to mark the Extraordinary Jubilee of the Year of Mercy.
Anyone from ages 16 and above who resides in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is invited to submit their faith-inspired artworks by April 15. The theme for this competition is “Merciful like the Father,” inspired by the motto for the Holy Year.
While not mandatory, a suggestion is that the artwork center on the Prodigal Son — people’s artistic representation of this iconic image of the mercy of God from the Gospel of Luke 15:11-32.
The art project should be a drawing or a painting. All mediums are encouraged, including watercolor, acrylic and oil paint, pastels, pen and ink, charcoal and pencil or a mix of these. Entries will be judged on interpretation of the theme and design/technique. There will be only two winners.
All electronic submissions will be evaluated anonymously by professional Catholic artists, and the top 25 artworks will be exhibited at the University of St. Thomas Art Gallery.
The judges will select the strongest two artworks. The winners will be displayed in the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for three months, will win $500 each, will be displayed on the Archdiocesan website and will be published in the Texas Catholic Herald. Winners will also be acknowledged by Daniel Cardinal DiNardo at the University of St. Thomas Art Gallery at a date and time to be determined.
All entries must be submitted online to http://archgh.cvent.com/YOMArt by April 15. Entries should include a completed application, which is available on the site, and one digital photograph of the artwork in a jpeg format file, with a minimum of 72 resolution. The file should not be larger than 9 Megabytes. Those selected for exhibition will be notified by April 22.
The top 25 artworks will have to be delivered by the participants on Saturday, April 30, between noon and 3 p.m. to the University of St. Thomas Art Gallery, located at 3907 Yoakum Blvd., in Houston. If the art is not delivered on time, it will not be considered for the final competition. Each participant will have to bring their own easel to showcase their artwork. A copy of the entry form must be attached to the back of the artwork. Judging for the top two winners will take place between May 1 and May 4, and the winners will be contacted by May 5.
An exhibition will be open to the public on Saturday May 7 from noon to 3 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas Art Gallery.
For more information, email YOMArt@archgh.org or contact Gabriela Karaszewski at 713-741-8780.