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Art Cover Design Contest

CSIET Art Cover Design Rules & Regulations

CSIET is currently hosting its 22nd Annual Art Cover Design Contest! High school exchange students inspired by their experiences were encouraged to submit artwork representing the spirit of youth exchange and how it transforms the lives of young people. The winner’s artwork is featured on the cover of the 2024-2025 Advisory List, along with her name and CSIET-certified Exchange Program, as well as on the CSIET website. In addition, the winner receives a cash prize of $500.

Deadline to Enter: Monday, April 1, 2024

Rules & Regulations

MEDIUM

CSIET welcomes a variety of media–both designs produced by hand and computer graphic design. All artwork canvas size must be LARGER than 6 ¼ inches wide and 8 ½ inches tall (portrait orientation preferred). CSIET asks that students submitting graphic artwork provide one of the following:

  • an electronic copy of the artwork in either JPEG (.jpg), PDF (.pdf) or TIFF (.tif) format (at least 300 dpi resolution preferred)
  • a scanned copy of the original artwork. in either JPEG (.jpg), PDF (.pdf) or TIFF (.tif) format (at 300 dpi resolution or higher preferred)
    •  we recommend students talk to their school’s art or technology department about how to scan the artwork in the correct resolution.

RULES & RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Contestant must be a current high school exchange student through a CSIET-Certified Exchange Organization.
  • The book cover will be 6 ¼ inches wide and 8 ½ inches tall, so all submissions must be equal or larger to this canvas size.
  • Portrait Orientation is preferred
  • In order to enter the contest it is not required to submit a high resolution copy of the artwork. However, all artists must have the ability to scan their submission(s) in at least 300 dpi high resolution in order to be eligible to win the contest.
    • We recommend that students talk to their school’s art or technology department about how to scan the artwork in the correct resolution and how to make sure the artwork is presented clearly (ie. cropping any excess background and making sure the artwork image has good lighting).
    • If a finalist’s artwork is not submitted in high resolution, CSIET staff may reach out to the artist for a high resolution scanned copy of the artwork.
  • Please re-name the file(s) submission(s) to be the CSIET-Certified Exchange Program plus the student’s first and last name.
    • File name format: exchange program First name last name .jpg  (ie. STS Foundation – Andrea Perdereau.jpg)
    • If there is more than 1 submission from a single artist, please put a number after the last name (ie. STS Foundation – Andrea Perdereau2.jpg)
  • Please do not mail discs/flash drives with electronic files to the office. Submit electronically by uploading your file with this online form
  • a physically printed/hard color copy of the design will not be accepted.
  • There should be no reference to or depiction of specific exchange organizations, sports, or high school graduation in the artwork submitted.
  • Please avoid emphasis on specific countries in the artwork
  • More than one entry is permitted.
  • A short written description of the artwork is welcome, but not required.
  • Artwork should not incorporate the CSIET logo.
  • You may not use photo images or artwork that is not your own unless you have permission to use and publish it.

CSIET is now accepting submissions to the Art Cover Contest.

2023 Winner

With over 200 entries of very talented international exchange students, it was extremely difficult to decide who would win this year’s contest. Congratulations to Ekaterine Totchava, an exchange student Georgia. Ekaterine is a 2022-2023 full academic year student in the U.S.A. through Program of Academic Exchange (PAX) and Laurasian Institution, a fully CSIET-Certified J-1 exchange organization. Congratulations, Andrea!

A note from the artist: One of the biggest parts of an exchange year is to share your traditional food with your family and friends. Through this artwork I wanted to express the importance of sharing this part of our culture. On the other hand, It shows how, maybe we differ so much from each other, but still it’s not restricting us from sitting around the same table and sharing our meals with one another.

Ekaterine Totochava
Georgia

2022 Winner

With almost 200 entries of very talented international exchange students, it was extremely difficult to decide who would win this year’s contest. Congratulations to Andrea Perdereau, an exchange student France. Andrea is a 2021-2022 full academic year student in the U.S.A. through STS Foundation, a fully CSIET-Certified J-1exchange organization. Congratulations, Andrea!

Artwork Title: Take the World as a Game

A note from the artist: This is for me what the spirit of the exchange year is and what my drawing represents. We all played to this brain teaser when we were younger. When the game is mixed, nothing is United, and you don’t need to be strong to solve it, you just need to solve it, with your brain. So the spirit of the exchange year is not to solve all the problems of the world, but we can share our culture and discover a new one, to open our mind, we find a new perspective of the world, a new way to enjoy the world. When you get that, when your exchange year is over, you will always have this new perspective of the life and of the world, like when you play to this game, when you do it, sometimes it can be difficult, and you may need help, but you always find the help and you solve it. So this if for me what the exchange year is about.

Andrea Perdereau
France