Spread the news: Teen artists, here is your chance to boost your resume, build your portfolio and possibly score a $3,000 scholarship prize!
And it’s all for a great cause: Helping to inspire children to read more and dream more!
READ and follow the guidelines and application below. Twenty semifinalists will be selected and invited to continue on to the second stage. Good luck! (Scroll down to see some of the awesome entries below.)
DOWNLOAD CONTEST INFORMATION AND APPLICATION HERE:
Initial entries will be accepted until midnight, Sat., May 2nd!
Teen Illustrator Contest Guidelines and Application 04-18-15
Entrants must also complete and email to [email protected] –
Media Release Form – Teen Illustrator Contest with artist ownership 04-15
Read the manuscript “White Moon, Purple Sea and The Underwater Circus” by Karen D. Clawson, K is for Kids’ founder and (volunteer) executive director – use the stanzas to inspire your art! Click here:
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WHO THE JUDGES ARE:
We are honored to have three amazing judges for the Teen Illustrator Contest (nationally and internationally recognized) who are all children’s book authors and/or illustrators: Ronnie Herman of the Herman Agency (NY, NY), Jago (England), and Jason Kurek (Naples).
“The K Is for Kids Teen Illustrator Contest is a unique and exciting opportunity for the young participants, and it is very rewarding to see so much talent coming from Naples, FL teens!” said Ronnie.
“Karen Clawson’s wonderful text is a gift for any artist. It is full of magical imagery, imagination and life.
I am greatly enjoying being one of the judges for this one-of-a-kind contest.”
About the Judges
RONNIE ANN HERMAN
Ronnie started the Herman Agency in 1999 and represents many of the leading illustrators and authors in today’s children’s book market.
As a former Art Director at Random House and Art Director, Associate Publisher and V.P. at Penguin Books’ Grosset & Dunlap, Ronnie art directed thousands of children’s books during her more than 20 years in publishing.
Ronnie is also the author of 12 children’s books and one of her books has been on the NY Times best-seller list.
You can see the Herman Agency at www.HermanAgencyinc.com
JAGO
Some time ago, a boy called Jago arrived here on Earth with a burning ambition to be…Superman, Indiana Jones, or quite possibly King Arthur.
After a little hard work and an awful lot of drawing he settled on his fourth choice of career, illustrating children’s books, something he reckons he could be quite good at one day.
He lives in a slightly damp wetsuit in Cornwall with his fantastically lovely wife Alex, beautiful daughter Lily Peach and small round son, Rudy.
Jago has been a professor of art as well.
The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones and that Jago illustrated has sold over 1,000,000 copies since it published in 2007.
Jago’s work can been seen here:
Instagram: jagosilver
Twitter: @jago
http://www.facebook.com/Jagoillustration
http://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/jagoillustration
http://www.jagoillustration.com
JASON KUREK
Jason Kurek, author/illustrator of The Chronoblood Chronicles, is the Senior Director of Development for The Education Foundation – Champions For Learning.
For over 15 years, Jason has developed national award winning programming and resource development strategies for local non-profits. He earned the 2013 Gold MAC Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), for Outstanding Marketing & Communications. Prior to that, as a Fine Arts Coordinator, he created/facilitated programming, which was recognized by BGCA, as the Best Fine Arts Program in the State of Florida in 2007 and 2008. In addition, his original curriculum fostered the creativity of many at-risk young people and led them to win the 2008 BGCA National Fine Arts Exhibition for Best Group Project, as well as, several other regional, state and local accolades.
Jason’s epic novel for young adults, The Chronoblood Chronicles was digitally released in early 2014. www.Chronoblood.com
About the Author
KAREN D. CLAWSON
Karen Clawson’s first “love stories” began while she was in elementary school as she began enraptured by stories of female trailblazers, “women who fought, flew and fired arms amongst men – Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart and Annie Oakley.”
Years later when Karen became a mother to two young children, Erin and Patrick, she devoted herself full-time to the enrichment of children’s education and youth development, first by volunteering in her children’s classrooms in 2001 and then expanding her efforts countywide.
Seeing her children’s passion for reading and how much joy and knowledge they derived from their own beloved books, she set out to create ways to help give children of all ages have greater access to new books. Karen began conducting book drives and “fun’raisers” to boost inventories of books in children’s libraries at school and at home. Each year, Karen’s community outreach continued to expand in scope and breadth each year.
Today, Karen is the founder and Executive Director of K is for Kids Foundation, a role she continues to serve without compensation as her gift to the children, saying “The rewards helping kids realize their potential far outweigh any labor involved.”
News Release: Feb. 19, 2015
by Beth Crafts
Media Contact:
Karen D. Clawson, Founder & Executive Director
Phone: 239.596.KIDS(5437) * Email: [email protected]
K is for Kids Draws upon Teens’ Talents to Illustrate Children’s Book and
Offers Scholarship Prize
Naples – February 19, 2015. In an effort to stay true to her foundation’s goals, Karen Clawson, Founder and Executive Director of K is for Kids announced yesterday that she is actively seeking a young artist to illustrate her up and coming children’s book “White Moon, Purple Sea and the Underwater Circus” through an art contest that has been launched by K is for Kids. Local readers have raved about the manuscript and first graders at a family literacy event at the local Boys and Girls Club performed the story soon after it was written.
“This is just one additional way K is for Kids is helping young minds flourish,” said Clawson. “We are all about nourishing students during their growing years, encouraging creativity, building portfolios, resumes, and of course, confidence. I’ve had this book on the back burner for quite some time and decided who better to illustrate it than a rising star, who otherwise might not have this opportunity?”
K is for Kids launched the competition in February to celebrate its seventh anniversary of the Bring a Book, Bring a Friend Month for Children’s Literacy.
“When our leadership council was presented with this project, we unanimously thought it was a great idea,” said Nedgie Paul, a Palmetto Ridge high school student who serves on the student leadership council known as DOSA (Directorate of Student Agenda). “We also voted to open the contest to eighth graders, too.”
The contest is limited to students from eighth through twelfth grade in Collier County. Any color medium may be used.
In addition to gaining the prestige of having their illustrations published, Clawson said she is providing the earmarked funds for the $3,000 scholarship prize that will be awarded to the winning student for post-secondary education or art school.
According to Clawson, the competition fits in well with the foundation’s mission of building readers and leaders and helping cultivate the skills kids need to be creative thinkers, adventurous problem solvers and visionary leaders. “Genius and creativity need a supportive environment to flourish,” she added. “We’re trying to help our educators to provide that.”
For more information about the contest, email [email protected], visit www.kisforkids.org or call 239.596.KIDS (5437).