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"Inspired By" Arts Showcase

The "Inspired By" Arts Showcase is one of several student-based competitions open to high school and college students to create a work of visual, literary or musical art that connects with a theme from Saint Louis University's 2023 Campus Read book.

Submission Guidelines

This year’s Campus Read features “The Underground Railroad" by our 2025 St. Louis Literary Award recipient, Colson Whitehead. In order to provide opportunities for students to explore their creativity and emphasize connections to our broader, local community, we will, once again, include an arts competition as a part of the Campus Read programming. The "Inspired By" Arts Showcase is open to students in area colleges and universities and is part of the St. Louis Literary Award series of programs.

All contest entrants should note the following: This competition is run by Saint Louis University and Colson Whitehead has no involvement in the submission, review or judging process. Submissions will not be read or seen by Colson Whitehead. Submissions may not contain plagiarized material. Participation in this competition does not grant any license (express or implied) to use any copyrighted material of Colson Whitehead or any other individual. Unauthorized use or distribution of the copyrighted material of others may incur legal action, and neither Saint Louis University nor Colson Whitehead will be liable for any such unauthorized use. In other words, your work needs to be completely your own, because we are celebrating your creativity too.

Full details (including prize opportunities!) are listed below.

What We’re Looking For

i.To participate in the showcase, create a work of art that connects to a theme from a work of Colson Whitehead. Below are possible themes from different works of Colson Whitehead. Feel free to add other themes or ideas that connect to each piece, and possibly add other books by our 2025 Literary Award recipient.

Possible Themes by Work

To be announced.

Types of Work

  • Written works: poetry (long or short form), creative writing (fiction or nonfiction), scripts, etc. Submissions should be no longer than 1,000 words.
  • Performance: Short films (animated or live action), dance/choreographic displays, original music/lyrics/compositions, etc. Submissions should be no longer than 12 minutes.
  • Visual and other non-digital submissions: photographs (digital or print copies), collages, paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. 

Submissions and Deadlines

Submissions will be accepted starting October 14, 2024 to March 14, 2025.

Submit Your Entry

Finalists

The Arts Showcase will select one finalist in each of the three categories (Written, Performance, Visual/Non-Digital); submissions from high school and college students will be judged separately and only against others in the same category (total of three college finalists and three high school finalists). Pieces will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Expression of theme
  • Quality
  • Creativity

Finalists will be notified of their status via email and will be asked to provide a brief autobiography. Final pieces will be displayed on the Pius Library website and upstairs in the gallery space at Pius. An additional location off campus may also be included.

Finalists will also be acknowledged in the St. Louis Literary Award ceremony program.

Awards

Awards are given to the winning submissions in each of the following categories:

Colleges and Universities Division
  • Writing Award: $250
  • Performance Award: $250
  • Visual Arts Award: $250
High Schools Division
  • Writing Award: $150
  • Performance Award: $150
  • Visual Arts Award: $150

We thank you in advance for sharing this opportunity with your students, and we look forward to reviewing submissions!

Past Winning Submissions

2024 Awards 

High School Level 

Writing Award: “Soul of Atlantis” by Zayna Fakhani 
Visual Art Award: “Split Ends” by Allison Thuy Lan Lam 

College Level 

Writing Award: “Venezuela Poems” by Ana Patricia Romay 
Visual Art Award: “Innocence to Adolescence” by Coral-Jessica Stone 
Performance Art Award: “Growing Pains” by Ayshia Holman

2023 Awards

High School Level

Writing Award: “Life, Death, and Everything Inbetween” by Claire McBride 
Visual Art Award: “The Exploited One” by Kevin Trương 

College Level

Writing Award: “Press, Lever, Raise, Toss” by Eric Boles 
Visual Art Award: “Prometheus” by Elaine Lohse 
Performance Award: “Finding Just Right” by Margaret London Kimble