To: Onondaga County and Tompkins County High School Students, and Art/Photography Teachers
CC: All School District Superintendents and High School Principals and Vice Principals
We are pleased to announce the 15th Annual Bousquet Holstein High School Photography Contest for Onondaga and Tompkins County High School Student in grades 9 through 12 (including high schools in the cities of Syracuse and Ithaca). Bousquet Holstein law firm now has offices in Downtown Syracuse and Ithaca, so we are again delighted to include high school students from Tompkins County and Onondaga County in this contest!
We will continue to accept all entries only in digital form, but this year we hope to finally return to hosting the finalist award presentations in person in early November.
Please read through all instructions carefully regarding how to submit student images and how to participate.
Each year, the theme of our annual photography contest is inspired by an exhibition at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse. This year’s theme is titled “Americana”.
The theme is inspired by the Everson exhibition “Native Americana” by Frank Buffalo Hyde. According to the summary written by the Everson:
“Painter Frank Buffalo Hyde grew up in the Onondaga Nation, where he absorbed much of the pop culture that is still central to his worldview. Throughout his career, Buffalo Hyde has presented “pop” iconography like UFOs, hamburgers, and corporate logos in parallel with Native symbology like the Bison on the Onondaga reservation and Indigenous leaders and dancers.”
The exhibition runs from June 10 to September 10, 2023. You can learn more about the artist at: https://frankbuffalohyde.com/home.html. We encourage teachers and students to visit the exhibition for inspiration.
“Americana” is broadly defined as anything associated with or characteristic
of the culture or civilization of America. This year’s contest challenges student photographers to capture their personal definition of “Americana,” through the juxtaposition of their own history, lived experience, and culture with the broader iconography of Americana.
Image entries must be received by Friday, October 6th. Entry forms and images can be submitted at any time prior to that date. Prizes will be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Place photographs and to the visual arts department of the 1st Place winning school.
Bousquet Holstein PLLC and its members have been consistent supporters of the arts and education in our cities and counties. As we have done for the past 14 years, our firm will feature the 1st Place winning photograph on our 2023 Thanksgiving card which is mailed to more than 7,500 clients, colleagues, and friends of our law firm.
In early November, we will host an event for our 20 finalists, their teachers, and their immediate families to showcase their photographs. During this event the winning photographs will be announced.
We hope you will encourage your students to participate. We encourage students to use the spring and summer months to create and/or discover the subjects for their images. Students need not be currently enrolled in a visual arts or photography class to enter. They may use any type of camera available to them to participate in this contest including mobile phones or tablets. Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions.
Sincerely,
Jan Quitzau, Director of Marketing
Bousquet Holstein PLLC
jquitzau@bhlawpllc.com / 315.391.0259