The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), in collaboration with Arts Ed NJ and the Art Educators of New Jersey, is pleased to invite New Jersey students to participate in the Hope, Healing and Resilience through the COVID-19 Pandemic Art Showcase & Installation Project. Students are encouraged to submit one original piece of two-dimensional (2-D) art that conveys positive messages of hope, healing, and resilience.    

Selected artwork will be displayed in a digital student art showcase in spring 2022. The NJDOE also looks forward to enlivening its offices and buildings with pieces exemplifying the hope, healing, and resilience of New Jersey students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Students are encouraged to submit their artwork that conveys positive messages of hope, resilience, and perseverance through visual art. In developing their artwork, students are asked to consider the following guiding questions: 

• How have I developed greater hope, healing, or resilience because of the challenges I faced during the pandemic?  
• How can I use my art to convey hope, healing, or resilience for the future as I move beyond the challenges I have faced? 
• How can I use art to help convey my experiences through the COVID-19 pandemic? 

New Jersey students from preschool through 12th grade (ages three through 21) are eligible to submit an art piece. Artwork may be submitted by the students, guardians, or educators on their behalf. Artwork may be created in a variety of two-dimensional (2-D) media. Example media types include painting, drawing, photography, digital design, or other similar 2-D media that do not exceed one inch in depth.  No more than one (1) original piece of 2-D artwork may be submitted. 

The submission window will open on October 27, 2021 and submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis through March 31, 2022. Submitted artwork may have been created before this announcement, but not before March 2020.  

Selected artwork will be printed and displayed throughout the NJDOE buildings and may also be displayed on a digital platform later in the school year. Not all artwork will be selected. The rubric below will be considered when selecting the artwork. The selection process will also depend on the volume of applications received. If selected, students and/or the guardians or educators who submitted the artwork on their behalf will be notified.   

How To Submit

When submitting artwork, there will be step-by-step instructions for uploading your project, including the following:

• Student's first and last name;
• Age and grade;
• School;
• Title of artwork;
• Brief description (no more than 100 words);
• Attestation of originality; and
• Permission for release of copy.

If selected, the above student information may be displayed or shared along with the artwork. The release form grants the NJDOE permission to use the information listed above, including the student’s full name and/or initials of their first and last name. NJDOE retains the right to use the student’s artwork in any digital format (e.g., photo, video, website, social media, and other web-related publications). 

How to Take an Accurate Photo of your Artwork to Submit

• Taking a Photo with a Chromebook (You Tube) 
• Taking a Photo of your Art with an iPad (You Tube
• How to take quality pictures of your artwork with a phone (You Tube)

Do

  Right out of the camera     Then crop….perfect!

Don’t

On an angle        Too far away

 

File Requirements

• File names must include the student’s last and first name and the title of the artwork:
  • [Last name_ First name_ Title]
    (e.g. Potter_Harry_Persevering_Through_Potions_in_a_Pandemic)
• Files can be saved in GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG or PDF. If selected, students may be asked to send a higher resolution version.
• Students may submit a digitally created or scanned painting or drawing, or students may submit a photo of the artwork.
• Artwork may be created in a variety of two-dimensional (2-D) media. Example media types include painting, drawing, photography, digital design, or other similar 2-D media that do not exceed one inch in depth.
• Landscape or portrait orientation will be accepted. The image sizes below are recommendations and a submitted piece may be a different size:
  • Landscape orientation (h x w):
    • Maximum size: 530 x 780 pixels (7.36 x 10.83 inches or 18.69 x 27.51 cm)
    • Minimum size: 480 x 480 pixels (6.67 x 6.67 inches or 16.94 x 16.94 cm)
  • Portrait orientation (h x w):
    • Maximum size: 780 x 530 pixels (10.83 x 7.36 inches or 27.51 x 18.69 cm)
    • Minimum size: 480 x 480 pixels (6.67 x 6.67 inches or 16.94 x 16.94 cm)

• •  

Eligibility

Students must be New Jersey residents.

Students from ages three through 21 in grades preschool through 12th grade are eligible to participate.

To be eligible, all required fields of the submission form must be filled out and an accurate email or phone number of the student, guardian, or submitting educator must be provided. This email or phone information will be for the sole purpose of contacting the student/guardian/educator; it will not be shared publicly.

Submitted artwork may have been created before this announcement, but not before March 2020.

Original Artwork Rules

Students may only submit original artwork and must promise, through an attestation on the submission survey, that the artwork is original. Without this attestation, students may not submit their artwork.

To copy artwork or imagery (even in another medium) and submit it as the student’s own is unethical and constitutes plagiarism.

Original artwork means the artwork is created only by the student.

If the artwork makes use of photographs, published images, and/or other artists’ works, the student must show substantial and significant development beyond duplication. This is demonstrated through manipulation of materials, processes, and/or ideas of the source. The student’s vision and connection to their own personal experience should be clearly evident.

Content Rules

The artwork must be apolitical in nature, without political subjects, images or messages embedded to reinforce or enhance an ideological connection to specific political views, parties and/or people. Avoid any personalized images and names of family, friends, public figures or other organizations. Artwork portraying the use of COVID-19 mitigation strategies consistent with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and New Jersey Department of Health guidance (e.g. use of face coverings) will be accepted. 

Content must be appropriate for public use. Obscene language and/or images are not allowable.  

Rubric to Evaluate Student Submissions

When selecting the artwork for installation at the NJDOE, reviewers will consider the criteria described below. Only pieces that that obtain a total score between 12 and 16 will be considered for installation at the NJDOE.

Criteria	Exceptionally Developed 4	Strongly Developed 3	Somewhat Developed 2	Developing 1
Personal Expression	Artwork demonstrates an exceptional effort to express a unique personal  reflection	Artwork demonstrates a strong effort to express a common personal reflection	Artwork demonstrates a sincere effort to show evidence of personal reflection	Artwork shows emerging evidence of personal reflection
Concept & Originality	Artwork is exceptionally unique, detailed and takes many creative risks	Artwork is unique, detailed and takes some creative risks	Artwork is unique and detailed but shows less originality	Artwork offers emerging evidence of originality
Materials, Technique and Craftsmanship	Artwork is done with evidence of exceptional care, attention to detail and neatness	Artwork is done with strong evidence of care, attention to detail and neatness	Artwork is done with evidence of care, attention to detail or neatness	Artwork offers emerging evidence of attention to detail or neatness
Overall Presentation	Artwork expresses exceptional and developmentally appropriate understanding of hope, healing, and resilience	Artwork expresses strong and developmentally appropriate understanding of hope, healing, and resilience	Artwork expresses a developmentally appropriate understanding of hope, healing and resilience	Artwork expresses an emerging understanding of hope, healing, and resilience

Contact

If after reviewing the above instructions a student or guardian has questions, they may contact ArtHeals@doe.nj.gov.