47th Annual Celebration of the Humanities Competition Spring 2024
The 2024 Celebration of the Humanities Contest invites all Modesto Junior College students to submit their creative and academic work to any of our 26 contests, which range across 10 different categories.
With $300 of prize money granted in each contest, the Celebration of Humanities awards more than $7,000 a year directly to students.
The Celebration of the Humanities was the brainchild of Bob Mognis, Dean of the Literature and Language Arts Division. In 1977, with the support of instructors Bob Gauvreau, Shirley Woodward, David Dow, Jim Johnson, Ken Allen and Dan Petersen, the Humanities Contest was launched. From its modest beginnings-eleven total contests in the categories of Writing, Music, Art, Speech, and Photography the Humanities Contest has grown to comprise nineteen contests in nine categories. In time, with a wider vision of its potential, the Humanities Contest became the Celebration of the Humanities. For years the Celebration’s faculty steering committee was coordinated by Dan Onorato; later by Richard Serros, Mike Sundquist, Flora Carter, Deborah Barr, Chad Redwing, Jim Beggs, David Dow, Aishah Saleh and most recently Chelsea Gilmore and Sara Tesfai.
Fundraising has been essential to maintaining the Celebration. A small amount of money comes from nominal entry fees, but donations from individuals are the largest source of support. Some donors choose to contribute for specific prizes or in honor or memory of a specific person. The MJC Foundation has provided generous additional financial assistance, and we so very grateful for them. Since Bob Mognis’s vision has become a reality, there have been hundreds of students who have grown in confidence and purpose because they were honored for their excellence. Click here is you would like to donate to his years efforts.
Contest Rules
Eligibility: All MJC students are eligible to enter all categories. All entrants must be or have
been enrolled in at least one class at MJC during the 2023-2024 academic year (including
Summer 2023).
Professionals cannot enter in their area of expertise.
Students who have not enrolled in an MJC course by February 1, 2024 will not be eligible to enter the Celebration of the Humanities contest.
Registration: A $10.00 Entry Fee is required of all participants. Payment of the fee allows students to submit multiple entries to multiple contests, subject to the limitations of the individual contests. Students entering multiple contests need only pay the fee once. Visit our ticket website to pay your entry fee under the event labeled "Celebration of the Humanities 2023-2024 Entry." If you have any questions, please call the School of Arts Office at 209-575-6081.
In the event that a contest is cancelled, students will receive a refund of their entry fee
Limitations: Payment of the fee allows students to submit multiple entries to multiple contests, subject to the limitations of individual contests. However, participants may not enter a contest in which they have placed three times. All entries must be original unpublished works (unless otherwise noted) and cannot be under contract. Original works can be adaptations, but must be presented as such. A minimum of five entrants in most contests is required for a competition to proceed.
Liability: Every reasonable effort will be made to safeguard the entrant’s work. However, Modesto Junior College, its staff, consultants, and volunteers are not responsible for property loss or damage through fire, theft, or any other cause. The Celebration of the Humanities Committee reserves the right to publish the winning entries for promotional purposes related to the Celebration of the Humanities Competition. By submitting an entry, the student agrees that the Celebration of the Humanities has the right to disseminate all works in any way deemed appropriate by the committee as long as the student receives credit for their work.
Judges: Judges are selected by the Celebration of the Humanities Committee. The decisions of the judges are final. All winners are encouraged to attend the various festivities at which contest results will be announced.
Checklist for Entry
- Pay your $10 dollar entry fee on the ticket website and pay under the event labeled "Celebration of the Humanities 2023-2024 Entry." If you have any questions, please call the School of Arts Office at 209-575-6081.
- Complete an Entry Form and Submission
Registered work(s) for Summer/Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 must be submitted no later than 5:00 PM on Tuesday, March 12, 2024. A copy of the registration receipt (entry fee) is required to submit with each contest.
Categories and Contests
- Art/Drawing
- 3-Dimensional
- Drawing
- Painting
- Graphics
- Mixed Media
- Comics
- Digital
- Paper
- Dance/Choreography
- Forensics/Speech
- Humanites
- Expressions of Social Justice
- Written
- Film
- Expressions of Social Justice
- Music Composition
- Classical
- Popular
- Electronic
- Musical Performance
- Classical Solo
- Pop Solo
- Photography
- Black and White
- Color
- Theatre
- Writing
- Academic Essay
- Creative Non-Fiction
- Short Story
- Poetry
- Poems in Spanish
Celebration Festivities
- Art and Photography Art Gallery accepted works will be exhibited in the MJC Art Gallery
on East Campus, April 1 - April 18, 2024. The MJC Art Gallery is open Monday-Thursday, 10:00am-4:00pm
Art and Photography Awards: Thursday, April 4, 2024 5:30pm-7:30pm in the MJC Art Gallery - Music Performance & Composition Awards:
47th Annual New Music Concert: Friday, April 12, 2024 at 7:00pm, Performing & Media Arts Center, Main Auditorium - Writing Awards: Wednesday, April 17, 2024 at 6:00pm, Performing & Media Arts Center, Little Theatre
- Dance/Choreography Awards & Reception: TBA
- Humanities Essay Awards: TBA
Donations - Help support the Arts!
The Celebration of the Humanities Contest is supported primarily by individual donations, which have helped to maintain the over contest over the past four and a half decades. Some donors choose to contribute for specific prizes or in honor of a specific person.
If you are interested in making a tax deductible donation to The Celebration of the
Humanities please call the School of Arts, Performance & The Humanities at 209.575.6081
or email us at mjcarts@yosemite.edu
Contact:
Steering committee Chair: Sara Tesfai
Art Category Contact: Chelsea Gilmore & DJ Combee
Dance/Choreography Contact: Kim Davis
Humanities Category Contact: Sara Tesfai
Music Composition or Performance Category Contact: David Dow
Photography Category Contact: Noah Wilson
Theatre, Monologue Category Contact: Lynette Borrelli-Glidewell
Theatre, Playwriting Category Contact: Lindsay Bryan
Writing Category Contact: Emily Malsam and Zaid Shlah
School of Language Arts & Education Support Staff: Natasha Jackson
School of Arts, Performance & The Humanities Support Staff:
Ashley Gauthier-Cabrera, Cassandra Wilson, & Jacquelin Wingett
All other inquiries:
Email MJC Celebration of the Humanities
School of Arts, Performance & The Humanities: 209-575-6081
School of Language Arts & Education: 209-575-6149