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2009 Entries: 1,456

Drawing: 411
Electronic Media: 152
Mixed Media: 249
Painting: 158
Photography: 336
Sculpture: 150

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The Prizes!

Grand Prize: $5,000
Second Place: $2,500
Third Place: $1,500
Fourth Place: $1,000
Fifth Place: $500
6th thru 10th: $250

About the Visual Arts Contest...

The annual Culture Shapers Visual Arts Contest enables student artists to compete for nearly $70,000 in cash prizes in six categories... drawing, painting, electronic media, mixed media, photography and sculpture. The contest takes place in the Fall, and is open to all High School Students in Harris, Waller, Liberty, Chambers, Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties.

Students receive a commemorative t-shirt with their entry fee of $20. Entry forms will be e-mailed to the teacher after online registration, and parents, students or teachers deliver and pickup the entries at the drop-off location.

Each year, the Culture Shapers Volunteer Staff receive about 1,500 entries. Jurying will take place in November. The top ten finalists in each category will be invited to an elegant awards ceremony in December, where the winners will be finally announced before a live audience.

About the Culture Shapers Jurying Process...

Culture Shapers jurors are a combination of educators and professionals, who come highly recommended to us by other notable organizations, such as the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE), as well as others. Many of our jurors have experience both in and out of the classroom, which gives them a unique and valuable perspective on evaluating student artwork. Click here to read more about the Culture Shapers jurying process.

2005 Film Winners


Grand Prize: $5,000
Karen Sloan
"Just Desserts: A Fairy Tail"
SR: Humble HS
Humble ISD
Teacher: Roger Soden


2nd Place: $2,500
Eric Smith
"Hallowed Be Thy Name"
S: Homeschool
Homeschool
Teacher: Leigh Ann Smith


3rd Place: $1,500
Josh Spires
"Insperatus"
JR: Humble HS
Humble ISD
Teacher: Roger Soden


4th Place: $1,000
Zach Garrett
"We'll Always Have Paris"
JR: Humble HS
Humble ISD
Teacher: Roger Soden


5th Place: $500
Robert Sterling
"A Tell Tale Tree"
JR: Humble HS
Humble ISD
Teacher: Roger Soden


6th Place: $250
Chris Zeid
"Dreams"
SR: Guthrie Center
Spring Branch ISD
Teacher: Michael Radler


7th Place: $250
Alizsha Pennington
"Premature Exit"
JR: Guthrie Center
Spring Branch ISD
Teacher: Michael Radler


8th Place: $250
Colin Allen
"Genocide"
SR: Humble HS
Humble ISD
Teacher: Roger Soden


9th Place: $250
Jay Harden
"Lovers Found"
SR: Cy-Fair HS
Cy-Fair ISD
Teacher: Earl Emery


10th Place: $250
Vincent Vo
"In The Beginning"
JR: Humble HS
Humble ISD
Teacher: Roger Soden



Honorable Mention, in alphabetic order.


Carolina Astrain
Humble ISD
SR: Humble HS
Teacher: Roger Soden


Taylor Clapp & Ross Felder
Humble ISD
JR: Kingwood HS
Teacher: Robert Bell


Henry Dillard
Spring Branch ISD
SR: Guthrie Center
Teacher: Michael Radler


Ryan Redmond
Spring ISD
SR: Spring HS
Teacher: Russ Armstrong


Michael Wham
Homeschool
S: Homeschool
Teacher: Rene Rogers Wham



About the Jurors...

Frank Eakin is president of Papillon Productions, a producer of kids' rated G and PG mp4ies. He is writer-producer of The Bracelet of Bordeaux, the first feature-length film made in The Woodlands (currently in post production and set for release in 2006). He began his journey in independent filmmaking in 1985, when he assisted Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockavich, Traffic, Ocean's Eleven) in the financing of his first feature project. Eakin is also founder-director of Woodlands Young mp4iemakers, a youth film educational program and competition in its second season, and he is a member of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Brian Wood is a Digital Videography teacher at Waller High School, where he also directs and teaches Technical Theatre. Brian is the creator of an "Innovative Curriculum" program for his Digital Videography classes which got special approval from the state of Texas 3 years ago. He has been in education for the past 10 years and at Waller High School for the past 7. He is a member of the Texas Thespian State Adult Advisory Board and is the coordinator of the Texas Techie Competitions. He has also been a presenter at the Texas Educational Theatre Association Conventions, presenting workshops on developing Digital Videography programs in Texas junior high and high schools. Brian is a graduate of Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico where he earned a BA in Psychology. This is Brian's third year as a judge for the Culture Shapers Video Scholarship Contest and he is looking forward to viewing more of the same great talent and creativity he saw last year.

Carrie Wood is a director of Theatre at Waller High School where she teaches Theatre Production, Theatre 1 and Creative Writing. She is the wife and co-director of Brian Wood. She has been a teacher for 15 years and last year was the Teacher of the Year for Waller High School and Waller ISD where she has been teaching theatre for the past 7 years. Carrie was the original Digital Videography teacher at Waller, where she started with 1 camera, 1 computer, and a roomful of very creative kids. She is member of the Texas Thespian State Adult Advisory Board and she is in charge of Student Leadership Training at the Texas Thespian State Festival. Carrie graduated from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico with a BS in Theatre Education/Communications. Carrie is an avid mp4ie watcher and loves to see the innovative approaches to mp4ie making that are always present in the Culture Shapers film submissions.


Made Possible By...

...and generous donations from folks just like you, who are passionate about supporting high school student artists. We welcome your tax-deductible donation in any amount!

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