IMAGINE NO VIOLENCE
Congratulations to the grand prize winners of the 2023-2024
Imagine No Violence Art Contest!
James Kashindi
Fort Worth Independent School District-High School
"Future Blueprints"
I have always found the processes involved in creation to be fascinating, having the power to alter my surroundings with just my hands. To me, engineering is not just an occupation involving math and science to solve problems; It is the art of creative manipulation. I have the ability to control my imagination and build an endless number of tools to make the world a better place. However, the unwavering selfishness of engineering is what distinguishes it from other professions. Once I become an engineer, I will have the ability to put the needs of others first in everything I do, be it improving healthcare, global technology, or everyday items. I've always preferred to help others over myself. I feel happy and fulfilled when I do good for others. I can create a world changing invention and spark up the lives of many, simply by sitting behind my desk and with a pencil in my hand. With that, a quote by James A. Michener comes to mind. "Scientists dream about doing great things. Engineers do them."
Nanami Monie
Arlington Independent School District-Middle School
"The Future Belongs to you"
The theme this year was “The Future belongs to You” and my artwork it connects to this theme because it represents how I want my future. The future I want would be a happier and more excepting place. Now I know that the world will never be perfect, but it could at least be better. There are things that can be done to help, for example, donating money to charities like the Trevor project. The Trevor project is a charity that helps LGBT youth, and because I'm young that also includes me which is the reason I added the pride flags. Now I know the Trevor project isn't the only charity but it's the most important to me because we should make sure that the current generation should grow up knowing they are excepted for who they are. The images I used to represent this future is the darker colors at the bottom represent the present and the brighter colors at the top for how the future should be, brighter and better. In the project I used color pencils, paint, glue, and paper for the origami flowers and butterfly.
GALLERIES
HISTORY
The Imagine No Violence campaign was launched with an event held at Bass Hall in November 2001. More than 1,200 high school students gathered at the event, with delegations from each Fort Worth ISD high school reporting on their concepts of "Imagining No Violence". In several follow-up meetings, students developed the idea of promoting nonviolence through the creation of original artwork--thus the Imagine No Violence art contest was born.
Each school year more than 45,000 Tarrant County area students participate in the contest. Imagine No Violence artwork has reached millions of people through multi-media campaigns promoting nonviolence and offering practical ways for citizens to prevent crime and violence.
WHY IMAGINE NO VIOLENCE
The great Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes developed a vision of free speech as a "marketplace of ideas." According to his theory, while the First Amendment guarantees free speech, even protecting the right to convey destructive expressions, we needn't worry because the truth and value of each expression will always be determined in the "marketplace" of rival ideas.
Unfortunately, nearly a century after Justice Holmes developed his theory, the "marketplace" is inundated with ideas and images that effectively promote violence, particularly to our children and youth. We know that for some of our most vulnerable children, living in our poorest neighborhoods, gangs and violence are an ever-present reality. For these children especially, the relentless glorification of gangs and violence in the movies television shows they watch, the video games they play, the music they listen to, and the Internet sites they visit can have disastrous consequences.
The first step in winning the battle for the hearts and minds of our children and youth is to ensure there are sufficient ideas in the "marketplace" to compete with those that spread violence and hate. That's what Imagine No Violence is all about.
Hundreds of thousands of students have produced artwork promoting a more peaceful community. Participants have represented every race, socioeconomic background and achievement level. Our student artists have employed every implement from pencils to pastels, incorporating themes from the simple to the complex. Our hope and belief is that every Imagine No Violence piece is the result of thoughtful contemplation on the part of the artist.
The influence of ideas produced by our student artists has extended far beyond the participants' own minds. It is our wish that the outstanding artwork contained on this site inspires you to do your part by contributing your own thoughts to the "marketplace of ideas". Help us spread the word that we are committed to building the safest communities in America, Let us not only imagine no violence, let us make it a reality.