2014 Expressions Arts & Essay Competition: “I am grateful for the Golden Rule”

2014 marks the 50th anniversary of The Thanks-Giving Foundation (TTGF) and the 10th anniversary of its annual Expressions Art & Essay Competition. In celebration of these milestones, TTGF has revamped the Competition and renamed it the Expressions of Gratitude Arts Competition along with a few additional changes.  

The Expressions of Gratitude Arts Competition is a terrific teaching opportunity about the values experienced through the practice of giving thanks. Designed to inspire students to think creatively, Expressions of Gratitude asks students in kindergarten through 12th grade to express cultural and personal perspectives on being grateful in different aspects of their lives. Each year, teachers, mentors, and parents are encouraged to have a lesson with young people using suggested discussion questions on a particular theme.

The 2014 theme, I am grateful for the Golden Rule, will focus attention on an integral aspect of the mission of The Thanks-Giving Foundation – treating others as one would his or her self. Prize money from the competition supports arts in schools.  

Teachers, mentors and parents in North Texas, as well as across the country and around the globe, are invited to enter the work of their students and children in Expressions of Gratitude from September 15 through December 15, 2014. In honor of the competition’s 10th anniversary, dance has been reinstated as a category. Judges from major museums, the public library, publications and educational institutions, as well as individual artists, will select the winners. Cash prizes will be awarded in art and essays in six grade groups and three grade groups in dance. Winners earn cash awards for themselves, and their teacher or school receives money for class supplies.  

For more information on how to enter, visit www.thanksgiving.org and go to the Expressions of Gratitude page. The awards ceremony will be held in early 2015.  Winning entries are exhibited at Thanks-Giving Square in the spring and during the winter holiday season and also are displayed at other venues.