The George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts 2021 contest theme was “Alone Together: Art in the Time of Pandemic.” The annual contest encouraged students to reflect on their feelings from a difficult year and create works of art and music inspired by their reflections.
“This year’s art and songwriting contest winners were truly special,” says Jacques Rodrigue, GRFA’s Executive Director. “It hasn’t been easy for these students, learning virtually from home, and missing the in-person support and friendship that is so vital during high school years. These students overcame many challenges faced and created art that was all-encompassing of the year we’ve all had. My hope is that these artists will continue to inspire and uplift others just as they have done with us through this contest.”
In all, the contest awarded 13 high school juniors and seniors from across Louisiana with $25,000 in college scholarships (winners listed below). Winners from the Songwriting contest, in partnership with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, will have the opportunity to perform at the foundation’s upcoming annual fundraiser, Shorty Fest (date TBD).
GFRA Visual Arts & Songwriting Contest : Songwriting Winners
From a star-studded panel of judges, three finalists were selected to share $6,000 in college scholarships.
1st Place – $3,000
Keelan Jiles, Jr. (Junior, Warren Easton Senior High School, New Orleans)
“Viral War”
2nd Place – $2,000
Thai Booker (Senior, Ponchatoula High School, Ponchatoula)
“21’”
3rd Place – $1,000
Owusu Diallo (Junior, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, New Orleans)
*this track is set to private
GFRA Visual Arts & Songwriting Contest : Visual Arts Winners
Contest judges selected the below 10 finalists to share $19,000 in college scholarships. Each piece of work is featured in the order listed below:
1st Place Senior — $5,000
John Landry (Teurlings Catholic High School Lafayette, LA)
“Quarantine Blues”
2nd Place Senior – $4,000
Faith Bass (St. Mary’s Dominican High School, New Orleans, LA)
“Pandemics: History Repeats Itself”
3rd Place Senior – $3,000
Angel Caine (Woodlawn High School, Baton Rouge, LA)
“Mania”
4th Place Senior – $2,000
Alaina Le (St. Thomas More High School, Lafayette, LA)
“Disconnected”
5th Place Senior – $1,000
Catherine Rollins (St. Joseph’s Academy, Baton Rouge, LA)
“Autism and an Alien World”
1st Place Junior – $1,500
Isabelle Stelly (Southside Highschool, Youngsville, LA)
“Reflections in Quarantine”
2nd Place Junior – $1,000
Chloe Babin (Vandebilt Catholic High School, Houma, LA)
“The Persistence of Covid”
3rd Place Junior – $750
Adisyn Estes (Sam Houston High School, Lake Charles, LA)
“Silenced by Circumstance”
4th Place Junior – $500
Iris Kobrock (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, New Orleans, LA)
“New Storms”
5th Place Junior – $250
Yazmin Carmona (Woodlawn High School, Baton Rouge, LA)
“When the World Stopped”
