Every year LISD and other school districts in the area host a competition of the arts in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. This year the award ceremony and showcasing of winners’ work will be located at the school. Any student in southern Denton county is eligible, and there is still plenty of time for submissions. The deadline is Friday, Dec. 14 and the award ceremony will be held on Monday, Jan. 21, 2019 at 6:30 P.M. The winners’ artwork that was submitted will be on display at 5:30 P.M..
All southern Denton County students are eligible to compete in the event. The contest is sponsored by Flower Mound, Lewisville, LISD and other various businesses and organizations around southern Denton County.
This annual contest started 26 years ago and students from 4-12 grade submit artwork, essays and photography. The boundaries for these pieces are that they all have to be original, they have to relate to Dr. King’s ideas, philosophies and principles and they need to incorporate the theme of that particular year. This year’s theme is Loving the Diversity in Our World.
The award ceremony is held at different campus’ every year. At the award ceremony, the top 27 kids from the essay and art categories and nine from photography are recognized and given monetary prizes that vary based on the category, the place the student gets, and the grade of the student.
“I want all Marcus and MHS9 students just to know about [the competition],” Sistrunk said. “I want them to know that there are some good prizes if nothing else, but it does so much intrinsically. It helps you grow internally. They’ll get a sense of camaraderie and unity.”
Over the years there have been many developments in the structure of the contest. The development that Sistrunk has noticed the most is that every year is that more and more students participate
“It includes everybody,” Sistrunk said. “It’s not just one group do people. It opens up and it challenges people from all walks to participate”
She also expressed her appreciation for the diversity of participants.
“Socially this is yet another avenue for people to understand and embrace diversity and embrace other people that have come through the years, and just another avenue to get closer to everybody else that’s not necessarily like them,” Sistrunk said.
