Mayor Encourages Youth to Participate in Worldwide Art Contest

Mayor Mitch Roth is encouraging Hawaiʻi Island youth to participate in the annual worldwide contest, the Young Artists and Authors Showcase through original artwork, literature, photography and music.

YAAS is put on through the Sister Cities International, an organization that aims to promote peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation – one individual, one community at a time.

Submissions are centered around an annual theme and judged based on creativity, composition, and theme
interpretation. This year’s theme is Generation Rescue: Sustainable Water for All.

“Climate change has become an undeniably harsh reality in our lives, making the importance of raising awareness and taking action more essential every day,” county officials stated in a press release this morning. “As temperatures rise, water patterns are disrupted, ecosystems are disturbed, cultures are affected, and energy resources are proven to be unsustainable for long-term use.”

The County of Hawaiʻi is a member of Sister Cities International. Officials say youth are the key to tackling this global issue.

“Participating in this contest will be a great opportunity for our young artists to showcase their skills while simultaneously promoting the conservation of our precious water resources,” Roth said. “We have a lot of really great talent here on our island, and we are excited to share that talent with the world.”

Selected grand prize winners in each category will win a $1,000 prize, second place winners will win $250, and third place winners will be awarded $100. In addition, winners’ artwork will be displayed on the Sister Cities website after the winners are announced during the Youth Leadership Summit.

There is no fee to submit an entry to YAAS at the national office. Students must be 13-18 years old to
participate. Students interested in participating should call Jane Clement, Sister Cities Protocol Officer for the County of Hawaiʻi, at 808-323-4441.

More information is available at www.sistercities.org.