Express your creativity and showcase your talent as part of our annual Toni Morrison poster contest, which begins Oct. 1, 2024.
Lorain County students in kindergarten through college are invited to choose one of two inspiring Toni Morrison quotations and create an original piece of artwork reflecting its meaning:
- “She is a friend of my mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order.”
- “You are your best thing.”
This year, the Toni Morrison poster contest, and its sister poetry writing contest, will be part of the Big Read. Lorain Public Library System, Lorain Historical Society, Oberlin Public Library, Oberlin Heritage Center and Community Foundation of Lorain County partnered on this grant available through the National Endowment for the Arts to celebrate “Beloved” by Morrison, a Lorain native.
“We are humbled to have received this grant and the partners have a lot of programs planned,” Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Winkler said. “They are designed with the intent of celebrating the community’s history and resiliency, connecting people to opportunities that promote life-long learning and experiences that contribute to the overall betterment of our community.”
Artwork should be drawn horizontally and can be either 12 inches by 18 inches or 8.5 inches by 11 inches. It must be done on white poster board or drawing paper (no lines). All artwork must be original; no traced, trademarked or copyrighted characters, slogans, etc.
Completed posters can be submitted starting Oct. 1 by scanning it as a .jpeg with at least 300 dpi resolution to morrisonposter@lpls.info or drop it off at any LPLS branch. Include your contact information, school name if applicable, and for participants ages 18 and under, provide the name of your teacher, parent or caregiver.
The deadline for submission is Nov. 15.
Judging will take place in January and the winning pieces in each age category will have their work framed and displayed in the Toni Morrison Reading Room at the Main Library for one year.
For more information, visit LorainPublicLibrary.org/locations-hours/main-library/toni-morrison-poster-contest.