SAVANNAH, GA, Sept. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Savannah African Art Museum is calling for submissions nationwide for their virtual art exhibit, “…And The Children Speak,” which aims to provide a platform where children’s voices and emotions can be expressed through their art during these challenging times.
Beginning in March, the lives of children changed in a myriad of ways due to the pandemic and socio-political events. From the absence of routines – attending school, engaging in outdoor activities, the arts, playing with friends, visiting loved ones, graduations and proms – to the explosion of video images that crossed their TV screens, depicting world-wide peaceful and violent protests, displays of solidarity and antagonism, opposing views of history and race matters being passionately discussed. The past several months have indeed impacted the nation’s youth.
Savannah African Art Museum is interested in providing children a platform to express themselves through their art. Whether the art reflects their feelings about these sudden life experiences, provides them an outlet for releasing stress, or is simply an artistic expression (via realism, abstract, symbolism, etc.) – all submissions are welcome.
According to Child Life and Creative Arts Therapists at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, art, music, and movement can be great outlets for self-expression. Such projects can build positive mental imagery, foster feelings of calm and relaxation, and thoroughly engage anxious young minds in the creative process.
Involving children in art as a form of coping and airing their feelings helps them create their own safe and calming place. Furthermore, physical expressions are important for children's mental and physical health. According to the Children's Hospital experts, young children often express themselves and their frustrations nonverbally, so providing opportunities for them to safely release energy may decrease the likelihood of meltdowns or tantrums. An expressive or energetic dance may be just what the doctor ordered.
“We at SAAM believe that art is a voice, a recording of history, and the retelling of a story or experience. It’s a scream, it’s a whisper — both entitled to be heard. It’s an invitation for conversation,” SAAM Education Coordinator Lisa Jackson said. “We are extending an invitation to children across the country through the age of 18 to send us a copy of their art giving voice, telling their story, recording their experience of the past few months for our virtual exhibit entitled, ‘…And the Children Speak.’”
Participants may submit art in the form of a sketch, painting, collage, quilt, sculpture, a performance (e.g., video-taped dances, singing, spoken word art), or written word (e.g., poem, short story). Submissions also can be a collaborative effort with friends, family, classmates, or other groups.
All submissions should be submitted to ljackson@savannahafricanartmuseum.org with the subject line “And the Children Speak Submission” no later than Nov. 30 following the guidelines below.
- All submissions must include the title of the art (if named), artist’s name, age and city/state/country; and the name of the group, school, club or organization that collaborated on the submission (if applicable). Entries should adhere to the following formats:
- Images must be submitted in a digital format as a jpeg, png, or pdf in high resolution
- Written word submissions must be photographed and then transcribed in a digital format (jpeg, png, or pdf) when submitted.
- Video submissions must be submitted in MP4 format with a maximum length of 2 minutes
For additional information or inquiries, please email Jackson at ljackson@savannahafricanartmuseum.org or call 912-721-7735.
To learn more about the museum, please visit www.savannahafricanartmuseum.org. For information about upcoming events and the museum’s collection, please follow SAAM on Facebook @SavannahAfricanArtMuseum.
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