Philippine Festival 2004 - Children's Art Contest

“Sharing Artistic Visionary Experience”

CHILDREN’S ART CONTEST

Open letter to our distinguished community

Background:Each year, during the Philippine Fair and Parade, the Philippine-American Foundation for Charities, Inc. sponsors an art contest for the children attending the fair. The winning entries entitle the children to a cash award, a certificate of merit, and the first opportunity for these budding artists to exhibit their work and receive public recognition for their accomplishment. The PAFC sponsored traveling art exhibit, “Brown Strokes on a White Canvas” has offered a venue each year for the childrens art work to be exhibited. In 2001 contest winners were featured at The Foundry Gallery in Washington, DC, the 2002 contest winners were featured at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia and the winners of the 2003 contest were featured at the Harmony Hall Regional Cultural Center last Fall.

Art Contest 2004 Invitation:On Sunday, June 6^th during the Philippine Fair and Parade, on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., the art committee of the PAFC Philippine Festival Committee will once again conduct an art contest for the children. This year we will offer the children an opportunity to interpret either the Philippine Festival theme, “ Filipino-Americans: Making Waves”or the Brown Strokes on a White Canvas 2004 theme, “Sharing Artistic Visionary Experience”or both themes. We would be honored if your children would participate in the contest and would encourage you to talk with them about the meaning of the themes to assist them in preparation for the art contest. To facilitate these conversations, we have included a glossary of terms (attached) and thanks to Jon Melegrito and Mary Anne Fadul, we have 2 interpretations of the Philippine Festival theme.

• What: On-site art contest for children, ages 3 – 16

  • 3 to 6 years old

  • 7 to 9 years old

  • 10 to 13 years old

  • 14 to 16 years old

• When: Sunday, June 6^th 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

• Where: Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC, Philippine Festival – Children’s Art tent

• Details: Each child is given a color-coded card (for each age category) to complete with their name, address, telephone number and Email address, which is then taped to the back of their artwork to allow the art to be judged entirely on its merit. The Brown Strokes on a White Canvas artists and winners from the previous children’s art contest will be on hand during the June 6^th festivities to interact with the children and the PAFC board will judge the artwork.

• Winners:Winners will be notified by telephone and certificates of merit and cash awards will be distributed during the Rizal Youth award celebration at the Philippine Embassy on Saturday, June 26^th.

Invitation, June 8th: The 2004 Brown Strokes on a White Canvas exhibit at Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial library in Washington, DC will feature a sampling of all of the previous children’s art contest winners, including 3 young adults who continue to express themselves artistically, in part due to the PAFC sponsored recognition they received as children. You are invited to attend the opening reception, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 8^th to view the artistic creations of the children, the emerging artists and the Brown Strokes art group and guest artists. The works were created in celebration of Philippine Independence and cover a wide spectrum of expression.

The art committee of the Philippine Festival, sponsored by the Philippine-American Foundation for Charities, Inc., extends a very special thanks to all the parents and Lolos and Lolas who encourage and support the children’s artistic expression and a special thanks to those who have generously donated funds to continue this self-sustaining program of the Philippine American Foundation for Charities, Inc.

For further information, please contact Art Committee Co-Chairs: Julian Oteyza, Emailjoteyza@erols.com(703) 536–3173; or Linda Pirrone, Email l.pirrone2@verizon.net  (703) 494–3236.

Sharing – “Pakikipagkapwa” or sharing one’s self with another is among the core values of

Filipinos which manifests itself in the “bayanihan” (cooperation or collaboration) spirit.

Artistic – A natural inclination to express oneself creatively. Production of the beautiful in a

graphic medium. Conscious arrangement or production of sounds,colors, forms, movements,

or other elements in a way that affects the aesthetic sense.

Visionary– Someone who imagines the future and conveys how it looks and what it means to

others. Having the nature of fantasies or dreams and forming those perceptions into intelligent

foresight. An unusual individual with capabilities in discernment or perception.

Experience –Being in the moment as it happens and absorbing everything that the moment offers.

Perception of an object, thought, emotion, or event through the senses of the mind.

Filipinos in America – According to the U. S. Census 2000, National Federation of Filipino American

Associations (NAFFA) and ABS/CBN The Filipino channel,

• Approximately 2 million Filipinos live in the United States

• Filipinos are the 2^nd largest Asian immigrant group in the U. S.

• Filipinos have the 2^nd highest household incomes among all

Asian groups and one of the lowest in welfare rolls.

• 20.4% of Asian Americans are Filipinos

Waves– A movement that sweeps large numbers along with it; a surging movement of large

numbers of individuals. A range of frequencies. A greetingmade with a hand or arm. A curved

shape, outline or pattern. A peak of activity. With regard to “Light” and sound a wave is a vibration.

Filipinos in America: Making Waves

“Making Waves – when you ‘rock the boat’ to call attention to something important, you are making

waves. To immigrants in America, it means telling others who we are, were we came from, and where

we want to be. It means letting our voices and feelings known when we are not treated right in this

country. It also means celebrating our many accomplishments and contributions in America, and making

a difference.” Jon Melegrito

For more information about the cultural impact of Filipinos in America, please view this

educational website:http://opmanong.ssc.hawaii.edu/filipino