Creative reflection contest
Black History Month Creative Reflection Contest
Every year, we invited Sheridan students to submit a creative reflection - through visual art, multimedia, or creative writing - that reflects on Black history and excellence as an opportunity to share and celebrate the diverse voices in our community. This year we invite you to share your reflection on our 2024 focus:
Finding Home: Belonging & Community
This reflection offers students the opportunity to express and share all aspects of their diverse Black experiences: the joy, the triumph, and the resilience and powerful stories that shape both their personal and collective journey in this world.
Reflections can be through:
Or another medium through which you would like to express your reflection.
Creative writing
Painting
Photography
Illustration
Multimedia
Poetry
2024 contest Winners
Sheridan Student Union has selected Creative Reflection Contest Winners since 2021, with a new prompt each year. In recognition of Black History, SSU are proud to introduce your 2024 Black History Creative Reflection Contest Winners now:
2024 Visual Selections
‘A Moment As One’ by Abigail Tekle-Michael - 1st Place Winner
“This piece is about my love for my community. I envisioned a piece that depicts togetherness between people in the Black community, and by having them hold each other, it conveys a sense of connectedness between the two.”
- Abigail Tekle-Michael
Alyssa Mahon - ‘Braids and Bobbles”
“Braids & Bobbles is essentially a love letter to black women. It is a diptych acrylic painting highlighting the beauty of the bond between black women and their hair. Braids features someone getting their scalp oiled after having braids done while Bobbles is a depiction of a hairstyle that’s commonly worn by young, black girls and one that I wore myself throughout most of my childhood. In the black community, hair symbolizes resilience and pride and is a way for us to showcase our heritage. It often holds a lot of cultural significance and I know as a black woman myself, it is an important (almost spiritual) part of my identity. As a Bajan international student, things that may seem small such as being able to get my hair done, or seeing other people with hairstyles and hair textures similar to mine help me feel more at home in a country as big and diverse as Canada. These pieces serve as a visual representation of quite literally returning to your roots. I want to allow viewers who see themselves reflected in this work a space to reflect, relate, and foster a deeper connection to our shared experiences and a feeling of belonging. Hair is something that has always and will always unite us, and for a lot of us it’s never just about hair or a haircut or a hairstyle, it's about the connection and community that comes with it.”- Alyssa Mahon
Anaum Shafi - ‘Food and Warmth’
“My art piece portrays a father and daughter duo who are cooking together a big batch of food. The food is called fufu, and it is enjoyed with a broth like dish filled with meat, it originates from west Africa. My piece reflects how food is something that brings people together, food is a connection and it fosters community.” - Anaum Shafi
Rubiat Fusigboye - ‘With You I Am’
“The goal of this work was to spotlight the people in my life who have made me who I am. From my family, into which I was born, who provide me with love, support, and understanding, to my friends who constantly surround me with care and affection. They love and encourage me, understanding me in a way that is profound. My family and friends help me tackle life's biggeC st challenges every day. They give me community and a strong support system. I could not ask for more.
I highlight the role of these important people in my life by removing myself from the pivotal moments, and instead showcasing the individuals who enabled these events to happen. I give them their due credit by literally surrounding them with floral representations.”
2024 Creative Writing Selections
1st place Winner: Elisa Ishimwe ‘A Proud African Spirit’
Anyah Douse - ‘Where Is Home’
Lekan Olasina - ‘Birth. Ancestry. Home.’
Congrats to the winners and participants of the 2024 Black History Month Creative Contest. We are so thankful for your creativity and dedication to this reflection and look forward to sharing more opportunities in the future!
Past Contest Winners
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2022 presented a powerful opportunity for us – individually and collectively – to build upon the evolution of the previous two years and envision dynamic futures grounded in hope, futures realized by all members of our community. “Imagining Futures,” illustrates Sheridan’s commitment to considering how a better tomorrow may look, while also acknowledging the plurality of imagined future(s).
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The events of 2020 reinforced the importance of educating ourselves on our privileges and perceptions, the need for reflection and difficult conversations around race and bias, and that it’s vital to offer and seek support when we need it.
Our world is changing. As an educational institution, Sheridan’s role is to create a safe and inclusive space for our community members to learn, grow and navigate this transformation.