From September 30th until December 22nd, I Belong Philly held an Art Contest on Instagram for immigrant artists in the Greater Philadelphia area. The competition aimed to support immigrant artists by offering a platform to showcase their work about immigrant heritage. We had 22 immigrant artists competing in one of three categories: Painting & Drawing, Digital Art, and Photography.
We were amazed by the quality of the work and the heartfelt stories behind it. Thankfully, we had a group of skilled judges - seasoned artists and curators - who helped us judge the art pieces. And if that were not enough, the contest had a prize for a popular vote winner chosen by our community on Instagram!
The total monetary prize fund was $1700, and the winners of the three categories each got $500, and the popular vote winner received $200. In addition to the monetary prize, the three winners chosen by the judges received a two-year membership to the Da Vinci Art Alliance, valued at $295.00 each.
The I Belong Art Contest results from the "Breaking Barriers" program were created thanks to a sponsorship from the grant "Immigrant Communities Safe & Thriving" by the Douty Foundation. "Breaking Barriers" focuses on promoting immigrant cultures, empowering immigrants to civic engagement, and building a stronger community in the Greater Philadelphia area.