Why We Create
Each year, the Sandra Bornstein Holocaust Education Center connects with and educates over 2,000 Rhode Island students through the Arts and Writing Program.
The deadline for the Art & Writing contest is May 15, 2027.
This year’s contest theme is What We Carry
During and after the Holocaust, Jewish families carried many things with them. Some carried photographs, letters, recipes, or religious objects. Others carried memories of loved ones, languages, traditions, music, grief, hope, or stories they refused to lose.
Even after liberation and immigration, survivors continued to carry the experiences of the Holocaust throughout their lives. Many later shared their testimonies with students and communities so future generations could learn from the past and help build a more just world.
Today, we also carry responsibility.
Please create a two-dimensional work of visual art (any medium: collage, paint, digital, etc.) that is no larger than 10”x 10” and/or write a poem or essay (maximum length: one page) with the theme of What We Carry. The artworks or writing pieces should demonstrate how lived stories deepen students’ understanding of the Holocaust.
Works of art should be accompanied by a description of who or what inspired the piece and the elements that you feel are relevant to our understanding. All work should be titled.
In addition to awards being given to some individual submissions, each school will be judged on its entire body of submissions, and the judges will choose one school as the winner. The winning school will have its student submissions (up to twenty, chosen by the judges) turned into an exhibit that can be displayed as a means of educating the larger school community.
Students may also enter independently of class or school.
How to Submit:
Please submit your work, along with the completed permission slip (download and fill out), by mail to: 401 Elmgrove Ave, Providence, RI 02906, or scan it and email it to info@hercri.org
Celebrate with us!
Teachers, students, staff, and parents, please join us to celebrate the creative expressions of the students with us. We will honor the winners with certificates and poster versions of their work.
Past Exhibitions
