LCHC First Annual History Art & Essay Contest

The Liberty County Historical Commission (LCHC) is sponsoring its First Annual History Art & Essay Contest and all young Liberty County residents between the ages of 5 and 18 are invited to enter!

WHAT: The Liberty County Historical Commission’s purpose is to promote and preserve the county’s historic and pre-historic resources. In this context, the Commission invites the public to be involved in Liberty County’s history through an art and essay contest open to all youth, ages 5 through 18 in the county.

This year’s focus will be on a person, place, or event in Liberty County History that is directly or indirectly related to any kind of historical commerce, labor, industry or enterprise within the county. Directly related means someone who had their own business, enterprise, industry or institution. An example of directly related, could be an individual that created an historic place, business, or industry such as a boarding house, hospital, cotton mill where they themselves created an entity that benefited Liberty County. Indirectly related would be an historical person, place, or event that did not create an enterprise or commerce but had experience with one of those, such as a patient in a hospital, a slave on a plantation, an employee within a particular industry or an affiliated support business that assisted an industry in the county. A child may also choose to write or create art about one of their own ancestors involved in commerce, business, labor etc. See last page for a short list of suggestions (not all inclusive) of persons, places, and institutions as possible ideas.

REGISTRATION AND INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE PICKED UP, FILLED OUT AND RETURNED ALONG WITH YOUR ENTRY to any Liberty County Municipal Library, including Cleveland, Dayton, Liberty and Tarkington. You do not have to be a resident of that community for your child to enter a piece. If you live outside the municipalities of those libraries, simply bring your entry to the closest library. Only one submission per child. PLEASE FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY.

There will be up to FIVE awards given for art and up to FIVE awards for an essay, one for each age group of the competition for a total maximum of TEN awards for the county. Entries will be judged according to developmental age group as follows:

AGES: 5-6; 7-9; 10-12; 14-16; 17-18

WHEN: Entries will be accepted between July 12, 2021, and August 28th. Deadline for entries is August 28th. Entries must be taken to a municipal library within Liberty County. All works will be displayed at the library during the entry period. All entries will be gathered after August 28th and judged during the week. Winners will be notified at the awards ceremony on Labor Day, Monday, September 6, 2021, 6:30 PM, at the Jack Hartel Bldg., 318 San Jacinto, Liberty TX, where they will receive an award certificate and gift award.

ART entries: There is no minimum size for art entries. However, drawings, paintings, or sculptures must not be larger than 12”X14” (inches), and/or weigh more than 12 pounds.

Drawings and Paintings must have at least a border of mat board with a cardboard stand attached. (This is to protect the work and support displaying.) Mat board is not required if a frame is used. Works may be framed in clear plastic frames with builtin stands (Walmart or any other big box dept. store has these for nominal cost.) or traditional frames may also be used so long as a stand is included as part of the frame; Some libraries will not allow art to hang on their walls. NO GLASS IN FRAMES IS ALLOWED. Remove glass to any frame. Any entries with glass will be disqualified.

Sculptures may include any medium including plaster casting, clay, wood, metal, paper, or any other solid material; but NO glass (or very sharp edges that can cut) are allowed, and not to exceed the 12-pound weight limit. Sculptures must not exceed 12”W X12”L X14”H in size. Any sculpture with glass or sharp edges that can cut will be disqualified.

ESSAY entries: Written works must not exceed 900 words. All essays must have a byline either under the title or at the end of the essay with the Entry No. (no names). (Refer to Registration Instructions.) They may also be framed according to the rules for art entries above. Entries will be collected at libraries into a notebook and a copy kept for records in the Liberty County Historical Commission Office. Writings do not need to be framed. Winning entries will be submitted to the local papers for reading by the public.

JUDGING: A panel of Commission volunteers will judge the entries. All entries will be judge “blind”. A number will be assigned to each entry registration with a matching number on the actual work entered. (See Registration form.)

Art will be judged on 1.) ability to convey the historical significance (the “what, where, and how,” and why this is significant to the entrant); 2.) originality, and 3.) excellence in execution—composition and character of the piece.

Essays will be judged on 1.) ability to convey the historical significance, (the ‘’what, where and how” and why this is significant); 2.) originality, and 3.) excellence in a well thought out idea, writing composition, proper syntax, spelling.

An adult may assist a child in deciding the subject or their work but may not in any way assist in the production of the entry.

All works will be judged according to age ability. No 18-year-old who has already graduated high school is eligible for this contest.

EXAMPLES of subjects are included on the instruction sheet or can be an idea from an historical marker which can be found throughout the county on an event, place, or person. Any idea from a published history of Liberty County, TX.

For more information, please email County Chair, Linda Jamison: lchc318@gmail.com or phone: 936-334-5813.