First Lady Awards for Vision and Creativity Interpretive Art Guidelines

The purpose of Verses and Voices is to develop learning experiences that teach students to see, shape and share the creative meaning of words. This special and unique program integrates the creative arts through poetry.

In order to submit a visual art entry, the following guidelines apply:

• Piece must be two dimensional
• Maximum finished size is 30" x 24"
• Finished piece should be framed, mounted or matted
• Piece should be no more than 4" in depth
• Work must be cited – Title, poet and include text of entire poem above ID label (lower right hand corner)
• Artwork may not be removed during the exhibition

EACH ENTRY MUST BE ORIGINAL IN CONCEPT, DESIGN AND EXECUTION

Accepted Mediums

• Painting: oil, acrylic, watercolor, etc.
• Drawing: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, markers, crayon
• Collage: no more than 4" in depth
• Mixed media: use of more than two mediums

Matting/Mounting/Display Guidelines
Each student is responsible for matting or mounting his or her entry for display. Each piece must include an identification label. The ID label should be typed and placed in the lower right hand corner as follows:

Title:
Student name:
Student grade in school:
School name:
Medium:

Above the ID label, please include text of entire poem used.

All artwork must be ready for hanging. Works must be framed, mounted or matted. Mats should be a neutral color (black, white or cream). Attach artwork to mat with good quality tape (no duct tape). Mats wrapped in plastic or acetate are not acceptable.

Download a PDF of these guidelines here.

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