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Suffolk Sister Cities International will host the 35th Annual Suffolk Sister Cities Young Authors and Artists Showcase beginning Feb. 29 and will run until March 20. The exhibition will be on display in the Suffolk Center’s Galleries Tuesdays — Saturdays, 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.

An Awards Ceremony will be held from 6:30 — 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, and is open to the public. 

Students from Suffolk Public Schools and Nansemond-Suffolk Academy created 126 art entries, 51 author entries and 13 music entries. Artists compete in five categories: drawing, painting, photography, mixed media and digital art. Authors compete in essay and poetry categories. All entries interpret this year’s theme of ’CLIMATE SCAPE: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow’s Climate’.

Works will be judged by experts in the related fields. Winners in each category receive a $100 cash award. 

Additionally, a ‘Best in Show’ for Art and for Authors and Music will be identified, with each receiving a $200 cash award. These winners are eligible to participate in the Sister Cities International Competition, where they compete with entries from around the world and the United States. There are cash prizes up to $1000 for winners of the international competition.   

Suffolk Sister Cities has had several International winners over the years, including the 2022 Best in Show artist Rory Rockwood who earned a $1000 award for her Digital Art submission and Anne Ruffin House’s award-winning art submission last year. 

The Young Artists and Authors Competition is one of several youth programs sponsored by Suffolk Sister Cities International. In past years, the organization has sponsored student exchanges and attendance at the Sister Cities International Youth Leadership Summit. In 2022, students from Kings Fork High School’s International Baccalaureate Program created a Sister Cities Club. Members learn about world cultures and volunteer in the local community. They have explored global friendships through various projects, including digital pen pal and environmental projects.

To learn more about Suffolk Sister Cities International and its programs, please contact Commissioner Maryanne Persons at 757-539-7188 or visit www.suffolksistercitiesinternational.org. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts is located at 110 W. Finney Ave, in Historic downtown Suffolk, VA 23434.