Narrative Literary Artwork Award

The cultural stock of sequential art has possibly never been higher than today. Adaptations of diverse works of sequential art are enjoying both critical and commercial success in film and television, while the canon of literary standards is expanding to include works such as Maus, Fun Home, and Bone. This has led to a deepening consideration of the artistic potential of the medium, and the breadth of creative choices available to practitioners of this particular art form.

It is with this idea in mind that we invite student members to create an original piece of graphic narrative art that addresses their personal connection to one of the themes listed below. These works should demonstrate clear intention to evoke a response in the reader, balancing text and image in the service of that response. (And since comics historically are collaborative, students will have the chance to work together with their fellow NEHS members in assembling their work.)

This is a special opportunity to demonstrate the nuances inherent in the medium, and its potential to foster emotion, connection, and inspiration in the reader.

Awards

Winning students will be notified by email and will have their work published on the NEHS Museletter blog. They will also receive a $50 check and an official Artwork Award certificate.

Eligibility

1. Applicants must be NEHS student members enrolled in a school with an active NEHS chapter.
2. A maximum of four applicants may contribute to each submission.

Submission Requirements

1. Students should create a single piece of sequential art, narrative in nature, which addresses a personal connection to one of the following themes:
   • appearance(s)
   • connection to history
   • identity
   • modes of communication
   • perception vs. reality
   • power and responsibility
2. The piece can be hand-drawn on letter size paper 8.5 inches wide (216mm) by x 11 inches high (279 mm) or created digitally in the same proportions. If hand-drawn, the design must be scanned at high resolution for submission. Submissions must not be photographed. 
3. All submissions must be a high resolution PDF (300 dpi or more—the higher the better).
4. Your digital file must be less than 400MB in size.
5. All artwork included must be created by the student(s); applicants cannot use existing artwork/graphics or AI to create their design.
6. The piece must have a title and coverpage.
7. The entire document must be no longer than 12 pages.
8. Each submission must include a brief text (150 words max.) explaining the piece, the creative process behind it, and what the theme means to the creator(s).

Submission Process

1. All submissions must be made via the NEHS AwardSpring platform during the Spring Awards Cycle.
2. A single student member must upload a high-resolution PDF (.pdf) file of their artwork. Artwork uploaded in other formats will be disqualified.
3. The same single student member must upload a Microsoft Word file (.doc/.docx) of the 150-word text explaining the piece, the creative process behind it, and what the theme means to the creator(s).
4. Applicants must complete demographic data questions prior to submitting their documentation.
5. All student members involved in the production of the piece (maximum four) must include a 150-word (max.) third-person biography and high-resolution portrait photo.
6. Applicants must agree that they are willing to provide a written report and photos detailing the impact the award has had on them, which can be used by NEHS to promote this and other opportunities in future years should they win an award.

Evaluation Process

All submissions will be evaluated by at least three members of the NEHS evaluation team.

All artwork submissions will be evaluated against a rubric containing (but not limited to) the following categories:

• Connection to theme
• Creativity
• Design/draftsmanship
• Personal connection
• Structure
• Visual engagement

Graphic Narrative Art Resources

Basics of Comic Composition (David Finch)

Understanding Comics (Scott McCloud)

The 8 Step Comic Writing Process (Jake Parker)

How Do You Make a Graphic Novel? (Raina Telgemeier)

Scripting a Graphic Novel (Victoria Ying)