This Year’s Theme - “SHOW YOUR VOICE”

 The Reflections Program is a National PTA cultural arts competition. The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for students to use their creative talents by expressing themselves through their own original works. Student entries are to be a reflection on the 2022-2023 theme: Show Your Voice!

Submission Due Date: Wednesday, October 19, 2022

Students may enter any or all of six arts categories.

IMPORTANT CHANGE FOR 2022:

All student works and entry forms should be submitted in electronic format.

Visual Arts category only will submit both original artwork and digital image(s) of artwork.

Follow these steps to get started:

1. Review the Student Entry Packet for an overview of the program, official rules, and entry requirements.

2. Open the link at the bottom of your chosen category below and review all specific guidelines for entries.

3. Download the electronic Entry Form and complete for each submission. The Entry Form file is fillable if opened in a pdf editor after download. It is suggested that students give their submissions a title that stands out and describes how the piece relates to the student’s personal interpretation of the theme. The following guiding questions can be useful when developing a title and artist statement: 

 How does your work relate to the theme? What do you think about when you read the theme?
 What is your personal connection to the theme? How do you feel thinking about this theme?
 What did you use to create your work (e.g., supplies, technology, instrumentation, props, etc.)?
 What/who was your inspiration?

4. Save your submission files using the following naming convention:

 Student Work: Category_Grade_Mabry_Student Name
 Entry Form: Entry Form_Category_Grade_Mabry_Student Name

5. Upload your submission files (preferred). Alternatively, you may submit a USB flash drive with digital entries to the Reflections box in the front office. In addition to a digital submission, Visual Arts entries will also submit their original artwork along with a printed copy of the entry form to the Reflections box in the
front office. The digital submission for winning Visual Arts entries will be used for judging beyond Mabry and original artwork returned to the student. If a student is unable to provide a submission digitally, they may turn in work to the Reflections box. The Reflections Committee will work with these students as needed to produce the digital copies now required for those entries chosen to advance for judging beyond Mabry.

6. Entries will be reviewed for interpretation of theme (how closely the piece relates to the theme based on the work and artist statement), creativity (how creative and original the piece is in its conception of the theme and its presentation), and technique (level of skill demonstrated in the basic principles/techniques of the arts area). The top two scoring entries per grade, per category at Mabry will advance to the next level of judging among other schools.

Questions or concerns? Please contact reflections@mabrymiddleptsa.org. 

CATEGORIES:

Dance Choreography: Solo and ensemble works of all dance styles are accepted. Entrant must be the choreographer and may also be the performer, or one of the performers. If background music is used, cite it on the entry form. Video file must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size and be in MP4, MOV, or AVI format. Dance Choreography Guidelines

Film Production: Accepted short film styles include: Animation, narrative, documentary, experimental or media presentation. Software can be used to create an entry but only to enhance and/or present the work, not provide the primary design. Use of PowerPoint is prohibited. Entrant must be the screenwriter,
cinematographer, editor and producer. If background music is used, cite it on the entry form. Video file must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in file size and be in MP4, MOV, or AVI format. Film Production Guidelines

Literature: Accepted forms of fiction and nonfiction include prose, poetry, reflective essay, screen play and play script, narrative, and short story. Entrants may write in their primary language as long as an interpretive English translation is also attached. Use of copyrighted material is prohibited. Writing must not exceed 2,000 words and may be handwritten or typed. Accepted formats: Single-sided print on 8 ½x11” paper, PDF file. Literature Guidelines

Music Composition: All music styles and combinations of instrumentation are accepted. Software may be used to produce an audio recording. Entrant must be the composer and may also be the performer, or one of the performers. Use of copyrighted material is prohibited. An audio recording of the composition must be included and must not exceed 5 minutes in length and 1,000 MB (1,000 megabyte) in
file size. Accepted audio file formats include: MP3 and WAV. Notation (score/tablature) in PDF format is only required for middle and high school divisions. In place of a notated score entrant may include a written reflective statement that provides a musically technical explanation of how you wrote the music (100 words or less). Music Composition Guidelines

Photography: Photo must be a single digital image. Collages and collections of photos are not accepted. Entrant must be the photographer and may use a variety of digital editing techniques including but not limited to, multiple exposure, negative sandwich and photogram. Use of copyrighted material is prohibited; however, photographs may include public places, well-known products, trademarks or certain other copyrighted material as long as that copyrighted material is incidental to the subject matter of the piece and/or is a smaller element of a whole. Digital image dimensions must be at least 640x960 (pixels) and 300 dpi (resolution). Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, and PNG. Photography Guidelines

Visual Arts: Works of both fine and design arts are accepted, including but not limited to: architectural drawing and models, ceramics, collage, computer generated images and graphics, crafts, drawing, fashion clothes and jewelry, fiber work, mixed media, painting, printmaking and sculpture. Use of copyrighted material is prohibited. 2D artworks must be no larger than 24x30 inches with matting. Framed

entries are not accepted. Include one digital image of artwork with your submission. 3D artwork submissions must contain 3 digital images of artwork at different angles. Image(s) are used for artwork identification, judging and exhibition purposes. Accepted file formats: JPEG, JPG, and PNG. Visual Arts Guidelines