This year, we restarted the annual Reva and David Logan Foundation ChiArts Art Competition. Previously, the competition was open only to students in photography. This year, we expanded to three categories: Creative Writing, Visual Arts, and Digital Photography.
ChiArts staff chose 6 semifinalists for each category, and the RDLF board members chose first, second, and third place winners. The RDLF board and staff were highly impressed by the skill and thoughtfulness of the entries. All semifinalists received a prize. The winners are as follows:
Creative Writing
First Place: “A Collection of Receipts and Notes” by Halle Grey
Excerpt:
Second Place: “Senior Book Project” by Kimberly Valle
Excerpt:
Third Place (tie): “Days at the Mall” by Marshall Harmon
Excerpt:
Angelica Lehr was a fun-loving girl. Yes, she did her work, paid attention in class, and got alright grades, but what she prioritized most was her enjoyment and leisure. Every day after school, she would head to the nearby mall, shopping until it was time to return (she went to a boarding school, thus there was a curfew). All the employees of her favorite stores and fast food restaurants knew her name, and almost all of them knew what times she would visit. First, Angelica would walk around, looking to see if there was anything new. There never seemed to be, but it didn’t hurt to check.
After, she would visit her favorite shop, Primevére. She would look through the clothes, shoes, and perfumes, agonizing over what to buy. At times, she would even rope the employees into her troubles, to the chagrin of some. She usually didn’t have enough money to buy much (Primevére was an expensive shop and Angelica was but a poor little high school student), so it would take up to a few weeks for her to finally decide. She would never decide what to buy while within the store—it was always later, after a few nights of sitting in darkness, staring at her ceiling.
Third Place (tie): “I Am Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” by Joc Rivera
Excerpt:
The stinging rays hit her long black hair tied in pigtails. Sweat drips down her forehead as she examines the mangos.
“Oye, Esme, mira, estos ni sirven.”
“Aye, no mames, como que no?”
Her eyes widen, “Que no digas eso,” looking at Esmeralda sternly, “tu sabes como ma se ponde, y los chingadasos que pa te va dar.”
“En verdard que no sabes como devertirte.”
She much as she didn’t want to admit it, her older sister was right. Esmeralda always sneaks out of the house, comes home late, and manages to be a good student because she believes la uni is going to be her way out of poverty. At home, she is often seen arguing with her mother, first thing in the morning, all you hear is her mother yelling across the rancho for Esmeralda and her to get up, feed the animals, and work the fields. Esmeralda doesn’t like that very much, as she thinks it’s unfair that both of them are only called for, while their bother isn’t, and, Dios, is vocal about it.
“Estrella, porque tu nunca le dices nada a ma de la forma que actua?”
She stays silent for a minute, “No se, creo que es mejor para mi que me cuede en el rancho.”
Visual Arts
First Place: “Fetus” by Eion Magana
Second Place: “Drama in the Dollhouse” by Cora Mangual
Third Place: “Untitled” by Lily Martinez
Digital Photography
First Place: “Madre y Hijo” by Nico Drummond
Second Place: “El Arbol de Juventud” by Victoria Toledo
Third Place: “Atrapado” by Adrian Lopez
