Showcasing Young Artists and Authors from Palo Alto and Surrounding Communities
Sister Cities International, the national non-profit that serves as the umbrella membership organization for individual sister cities, counties, and states across the United States, is presenting its annual Young Artists and Authors Showcase. This annual art and writing competition encourages young people aged 13-18 to express the mission of Sister Cities International through original artwork, writing, photography, and music. The theme this year is "Peace by Piece: Food Security in my Community."
The competition has six categories: Classic Art, Digital Art, Photography, Essay, Poetry, and Musical Composition. Winners receive cash prizes and will have their artwork displayed on the Sister Cities International website and other places.
For the 2023 competition, we had an impressive showing of entries from talented teens in Palo Alto and surrounding communities. Winners will be announced August 10, 2023. Scroll through the gallery below to see the local submissions:
The competition has six categories: Classic Art, Digital Art, Photography, Essay, Poetry, and Musical Composition. Winners receive cash prizes and will have their artwork displayed on the Sister Cities International website and other places.
For the 2023 competition, we had an impressive showing of entries from talented teens in Palo Alto and surrounding communities. Winners will be announced August 10, 2023. Scroll through the gallery below to see the local submissions:
ART - CLASSICAL MEDIUM CATEGORY
Bread for Always
Prismacolor pencil on paper
Maya Caran, age 15
"Bread is an important food that connects many cultures around the world, but made from humble ingredients using a simple process. Throughout history, family cooks performed the familiar routine of bread-making each and every day so that their loved ones could depend on its sustenance. Their techniques were passed down from generation to generation, but somehow, much of this tradition has been lost today.
I created this image of a little girl delighting in learning how to make bread from her grandmother because I hope it will rekindle interest in bread-making, and with it, the security of self-sufficiency."
Prismacolor pencil on paper
Maya Caran, age 15
"Bread is an important food that connects many cultures around the world, but made from humble ingredients using a simple process. Throughout history, family cooks performed the familiar routine of bread-making each and every day so that their loved ones could depend on its sustenance. Their techniques were passed down from generation to generation, but somehow, much of this tradition has been lost today.
I created this image of a little girl delighting in learning how to make bread from her grandmother because I hope it will rekindle interest in bread-making, and with it, the security of self-sufficiency."
Equal Food for All
Acrylic paint and pencil on paper
Meher Birari, age 12
"In this world, food insecurity and unequal amounts of food are very common. The wealthy parts of society have access to varieties of food, and in great amounts, yet waste so much. While the poorer parts of society barely have scraps to stay alive. Why is the world like this? Food is food after all. It is a basic necessity needed to survive and can go away easily, yet people treat it as replaceable. Not just this, but food holds a special place in everybody's hearts. This is what inspired my artwork, EQUAL FOOD FOR ALL."
Acrylic paint and pencil on paper
Meher Birari, age 12
"In this world, food insecurity and unequal amounts of food are very common. The wealthy parts of society have access to varieties of food, and in great amounts, yet waste so much. While the poorer parts of society barely have scraps to stay alive. Why is the world like this? Food is food after all. It is a basic necessity needed to survive and can go away easily, yet people treat it as replaceable. Not just this, but food holds a special place in everybody's hearts. This is what inspired my artwork, EQUAL FOOD FOR ALL."
Thief
Soft pastel and colored pencil on paper
River Wu, age 15
"A person is eating a sandwich, on that sandwich is field of dead crops where a skeleton stands, hungry. My community is the one that is eating, the bread is made out of wheat, that wheat could be from local farms but also could be from farms in South Africa and South Asia where there are large farms that produce lots of wheat that the rest of the world eats. The effects of climate change on those farms are extreme weather conditions that make it more difficult for them to grow crops, the crops that not only feed them but also what they sell to make a living. My community takes the little amount of crops due to weather and leave those families struggling in poverty and hunger. And my community has added to climate change and global warming much more than they have, we have stolen so much from them and while they are struggling we are still able to eat well. Donations and other acts can help these families, and reversing climate change and global warming will not only help these families but help our world."
Soft pastel and colored pencil on paper
River Wu, age 15
"A person is eating a sandwich, on that sandwich is field of dead crops where a skeleton stands, hungry. My community is the one that is eating, the bread is made out of wheat, that wheat could be from local farms but also could be from farms in South Africa and South Asia where there are large farms that produce lots of wheat that the rest of the world eats. The effects of climate change on those farms are extreme weather conditions that make it more difficult for them to grow crops, the crops that not only feed them but also what they sell to make a living. My community takes the little amount of crops due to weather and leave those families struggling in poverty and hunger. And my community has added to climate change and global warming much more than they have, we have stolen so much from them and while they are struggling we are still able to eat well. Donations and other acts can help these families, and reversing climate change and global warming will not only help these families but help our world."
ART - DIGITAL MEDIUM CATEGORY
Helping Hands
Adobe Fresco
Maya Caran, age 15
"The vibrant diversity of vegetables being grown in the community garden by my neighbors inspired me to create this image. I was amazed by the multi-cultural spectrum on display: the many shades of emerald from Asian leafy greens, reds of tomatoes and Central American peppers, yellows and oranges of American squash. Grandmothers worked side by side with young children to grow an abundance of food. I learned that local food security organizations here use community gardens to support families by offering gardening workshops, supplies, and resources. Because fresh produce is usually too fragile for food banks to distribute, the helping hands of my neighbors come together to grow crops that provide a welcome supply of healthy fresh vegetables to those in need."
Adobe Fresco
Maya Caran, age 15
"The vibrant diversity of vegetables being grown in the community garden by my neighbors inspired me to create this image. I was amazed by the multi-cultural spectrum on display: the many shades of emerald from Asian leafy greens, reds of tomatoes and Central American peppers, yellows and oranges of American squash. Grandmothers worked side by side with young children to grow an abundance of food. I learned that local food security organizations here use community gardens to support families by offering gardening workshops, supplies, and resources. Because fresh produce is usually too fragile for food banks to distribute, the helping hands of my neighbors come together to grow crops that provide a welcome supply of healthy fresh vegetables to those in need."
Leftovers
Procreate
Polina van Hulsen, age 15
"My artwork was inspired by the concerning effects of food waste in my community. There are many places where food is not as plentiful as it is in my community and through my artwork, I wanted to acknowledge the fortunate position that we have as a community that has food security. Each year, nearly 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States, meaning that about 40% of all food in the U.S is wasted, and this percent continues to increase. When I learned about this statistic, I was shocked and was inspired to create this artwork, which depicts someone throwing their dinner into the trash. There are large negative effects when wasting foods, not only does it waste money, but it also negatively effects the planet as resources and energy are wasted as well. I think that it is incredibly important to decrease food waste by creating a meal plan, storing food correctly, and saving leftovers after each meal. While some people have enough food security to throw foods out, others do not have enough to eat. I want us to acknowledge the importance of saving food so that we work together towards a sustainable and food secure society with enough food for all."
Procreate
Polina van Hulsen, age 15
"My artwork was inspired by the concerning effects of food waste in my community. There are many places where food is not as plentiful as it is in my community and through my artwork, I wanted to acknowledge the fortunate position that we have as a community that has food security. Each year, nearly 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States, meaning that about 40% of all food in the U.S is wasted, and this percent continues to increase. When I learned about this statistic, I was shocked and was inspired to create this artwork, which depicts someone throwing their dinner into the trash. There are large negative effects when wasting foods, not only does it waste money, but it also negatively effects the planet as resources and energy are wasted as well. I think that it is incredibly important to decrease food waste by creating a meal plan, storing food correctly, and saving leftovers after each meal. While some people have enough food security to throw foods out, others do not have enough to eat. I want us to acknowledge the importance of saving food so that we work together towards a sustainable and food secure society with enough food for all."
MUSIC CATEGORY
Starving for the Moon
Piano and Noteflight
Carson Packard, age 16
Listen here
"My main goal with this piece was to illustrate the beauty of music and how instrumentals can have just a message about food security just as strong as a song with vocals. The piece builds, just like the ever-growing problem of world hunger, but each section that builds also represents the efforts against world hunger and protecting food security. Each section is not only growing hunger but also each effort against hunger growing stronger. Sonically, the piece gets crowded and dense, portraying the rumble of empty stomachs. At other times, the piece is light and beautiful, illustrating the dreams of many unfortunate children who can't do what they're destined to because of hunger."
Piano and Noteflight
Carson Packard, age 16
Listen here
"My main goal with this piece was to illustrate the beauty of music and how instrumentals can have just a message about food security just as strong as a song with vocals. The piece builds, just like the ever-growing problem of world hunger, but each section that builds also represents the efforts against world hunger and protecting food security. Each section is not only growing hunger but also each effort against hunger growing stronger. Sonically, the piece gets crowded and dense, portraying the rumble of empty stomachs. At other times, the piece is light and beautiful, illustrating the dreams of many unfortunate children who can't do what they're destined to because of hunger."
Resilience
Original music
Parker Smith, age 14
Listen here
"Many things inspired me to write a song on food insecurity. One in particular was when I visited Kenya last December. Seeing the less fortunate villages made me realize how lucky I am to know where my next meal is coming from and that I can have three meals a day, every day. Another reason was because I wanted to bring awareness to all social issues including food insecurity, and music is a wonderful platform to do that. Music has the power to inspire people, and that was the goal of my song. Many musicians in the past have written about social issues, which was very inspiring to me. For example, Queen wrote Is this the World we Created...? addressing food insecurity. Although I intentionally made my song an instrumental song, I think that the feelings towards insecurity are portrayed. I believe that music and social issues go hand in hand, and communities can promote both. A primary example on how they can do this is through fundraiser concerts. Communities can also raise food drives, education programs, and food pantries that can be enhanced with music to create a more welcoming environment. I chose to name this song Resilience because of how strong people who struggle from food insecurity are. They have to overcome adversity and be able to withstand difficult situations. They have to adapt mentally and physically. When I wrote my song, the first emotion that came to me while listening was Resilience. The song reminds me of people not giving up and staying on their feet."
Original music
Parker Smith, age 14
Listen here
"Many things inspired me to write a song on food insecurity. One in particular was when I visited Kenya last December. Seeing the less fortunate villages made me realize how lucky I am to know where my next meal is coming from and that I can have three meals a day, every day. Another reason was because I wanted to bring awareness to all social issues including food insecurity, and music is a wonderful platform to do that. Music has the power to inspire people, and that was the goal of my song. Many musicians in the past have written about social issues, which was very inspiring to me. For example, Queen wrote Is this the World we Created...? addressing food insecurity. Although I intentionally made my song an instrumental song, I think that the feelings towards insecurity are portrayed. I believe that music and social issues go hand in hand, and communities can promote both. A primary example on how they can do this is through fundraiser concerts. Communities can also raise food drives, education programs, and food pantries that can be enhanced with music to create a more welcoming environment. I chose to name this song Resilience because of how strong people who struggle from food insecurity are. They have to overcome adversity and be able to withstand difficult situations. They have to adapt mentally and physically. When I wrote my song, the first emotion that came to me while listening was Resilience. The song reminds me of people not giving up and staying on their feet."
ESSAY CATEGORY
Cows and Climate Change: An Uncertain Future
Maya Abouav, age 13
"I chose to write this essay because climate change matters to me. I think about it often, and I observe the silent rise it follows as it affects each and every part of our lives. I know a handful of things about food security when it comes to our species' future, so I figured this would be a great opportunity to make my voice heard and spread the word that climate change is more than heat."
Walking into a restaurant today, it’s likely you’ll find numerous ways to ingest caffeine. With sugar, with foam, and of course, with milk. So many kinds of milk. Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk - one might wonder what sudden epiphany the public had to implement this many alternatives. And it's not just the milk industry - that restaurant likely serves a vegan or veggie burger, too. Why all the choices? The answer may be climate change.
When we think of climate change, we think of dry deserts, rising seas, and extreme seasons. But the fact of the matter is that climate change affects every aspect of our daily lives - particularly when it comes to food security. We try hard not to think about it. The human brain prioritizes the near and the obvious, a double edged sword that we carry in our pocket. One that has brought us to this day and yet may be our demise.
Most of us have met a vegetarian or vegan person at one point or another. While their motives all differ, a common reason for the diet is to boycott the unsustainable meat farms that hurt the climate. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 37% of human methane emissions are from our current livestock practices (Agriculture and Aquaculture: Food for Thought). But with a growing population and more mouths to feed, it feels counterintuitive to alter our farming practices when, if anything, we need to use them more. Raise more animals, feed more children. In protest, our vegan friends boycott the system and find other foods to eat.
But there’s a problem - many vegan folks still like milk. Beef, too. And this is fine, but if we won’t consume animal products, we must replicate our own. Thus, all the alternatives on the restaurant menu. But while the western world can avoid cow products, not all countries can afford such luxuries.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, beef makes up a quarter of all meat consumed. It provides essential proteins that are hard to replicate. If we suddenly banned eating cow products from unsustainable sources, we’d be setting ourselves decades back in the battle against hunger. The wealthy’s methods only fix the problem for the wealthy themselves.
So, developed countries leave the developing world to fix the problem. The financial gap between countries has caused inordinate frustration and bitterness across the globe. Food alternatives offer one of many ways to better the climate, but if we can’t sync ourselves with the rest of the world, the progress we make is in fact, futile. Wealthy countries need to lend a helping hand to poorer ones consistently and without fail. We can give money to start alternative dairy and meat production in other countries. We can boycott unsustainable farming practices.
We can save the Earth and stop hunger - it’s not hopeless. But if we really want to achieve them both, we need to prove it.
Maya Abouav, age 13
"I chose to write this essay because climate change matters to me. I think about it often, and I observe the silent rise it follows as it affects each and every part of our lives. I know a handful of things about food security when it comes to our species' future, so I figured this would be a great opportunity to make my voice heard and spread the word that climate change is more than heat."
Walking into a restaurant today, it’s likely you’ll find numerous ways to ingest caffeine. With sugar, with foam, and of course, with milk. So many kinds of milk. Almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk - one might wonder what sudden epiphany the public had to implement this many alternatives. And it's not just the milk industry - that restaurant likely serves a vegan or veggie burger, too. Why all the choices? The answer may be climate change.
When we think of climate change, we think of dry deserts, rising seas, and extreme seasons. But the fact of the matter is that climate change affects every aspect of our daily lives - particularly when it comes to food security. We try hard not to think about it. The human brain prioritizes the near and the obvious, a double edged sword that we carry in our pocket. One that has brought us to this day and yet may be our demise.
Most of us have met a vegetarian or vegan person at one point or another. While their motives all differ, a common reason for the diet is to boycott the unsustainable meat farms that hurt the climate. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, 37% of human methane emissions are from our current livestock practices (Agriculture and Aquaculture: Food for Thought). But with a growing population and more mouths to feed, it feels counterintuitive to alter our farming practices when, if anything, we need to use them more. Raise more animals, feed more children. In protest, our vegan friends boycott the system and find other foods to eat.
But there’s a problem - many vegan folks still like milk. Beef, too. And this is fine, but if we won’t consume animal products, we must replicate our own. Thus, all the alternatives on the restaurant menu. But while the western world can avoid cow products, not all countries can afford such luxuries.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, beef makes up a quarter of all meat consumed. It provides essential proteins that are hard to replicate. If we suddenly banned eating cow products from unsustainable sources, we’d be setting ourselves decades back in the battle against hunger. The wealthy’s methods only fix the problem for the wealthy themselves.
So, developed countries leave the developing world to fix the problem. The financial gap between countries has caused inordinate frustration and bitterness across the globe. Food alternatives offer one of many ways to better the climate, but if we can’t sync ourselves with the rest of the world, the progress we make is in fact, futile. Wealthy countries need to lend a helping hand to poorer ones consistently and without fail. We can give money to start alternative dairy and meat production in other countries. We can boycott unsustainable farming practices.
We can save the Earth and stop hunger - it’s not hopeless. But if we really want to achieve them both, we need to prove it.
Busy as a Bee
Taarini Kadambi, age 13
"I was at a honey farm, and found it really fascinating how honey bees put so much effort into creating their delicious honey."
Food security is crucial for the survival of all species. An amazing example of food security within the natural world is shown by Apis Mellifera, more commonly known as the honey bee. Honey bees create and store enough honey during months when flowers are blooming, thereby securing food for when they need it. These honey bees collaborate as a colony to produce honey.
When bees form their colony, they create tightly-packed hexagonal honeycomb using beeswax. This is a team effort. These hexagons are an efficient use of of space, allowing maximum number of cells in the smallest available area. Hexagons provide strength and stability, as they are tightly packed, ensuring no wasted material. This shape is also easy to construct.
Honey bees can travel as far as a mile away from their hive to find flowers. In addition, they show other colony members exactly where the flower patches are in relation to the hive. This allows the other bees to go find that patch and collect more nectar. Collaboration allows them to make even more honey during the year.
The bees proceed to ingest the nectar they collect from the flowers. Their stomach enzymes help digest the nectar, and convert it into honey. Bees regurgitate honey into the honeycomb. The colony works all spring and summer, so when winter comes, they have food to nourish themselves. Honey does not rot or go bad when stored in honeycomb, so it can stay there until it is needed. In 1922, preserved honey was found in Egyptian tombs, and it was perfectly edible.
When the snowy blanket of winter arrives, the bees can no longer go out and collect nectar, as all the flowers have died. For nourishment, the bees break open the honeycombs they filled with honey in the previous months, and eat the honey. This honey lasts them through the winter, and into the spring, when they make more honey.
In regions with snowy winters, local beekeepers can harvest summer honey only, as this is the only time of year where honey is manufactured by the bees. However, in other areas, where there isn’t snow during winter, there is both a summer and winter harvest, as bees can collect nectar throughout the year.
Bees have an extraordinary way of making sure they have enough food for when the time comes, and they are truly remarkable and incredible little insects. As a result of storing honey for such a long time, these creatures have a secure food bank, for when the need arises. This way, they’ve ensured their survival.
These amazing creatures have shown that they have the capability to build a storage facility, create food, and preserve it perfectly, all with minimal waste. A perfect lesson in food security for us human beings. Don’t you agree?
Taarini Kadambi, age 13
"I was at a honey farm, and found it really fascinating how honey bees put so much effort into creating their delicious honey."
Food security is crucial for the survival of all species. An amazing example of food security within the natural world is shown by Apis Mellifera, more commonly known as the honey bee. Honey bees create and store enough honey during months when flowers are blooming, thereby securing food for when they need it. These honey bees collaborate as a colony to produce honey.
When bees form their colony, they create tightly-packed hexagonal honeycomb using beeswax. This is a team effort. These hexagons are an efficient use of of space, allowing maximum number of cells in the smallest available area. Hexagons provide strength and stability, as they are tightly packed, ensuring no wasted material. This shape is also easy to construct.
Honey bees can travel as far as a mile away from their hive to find flowers. In addition, they show other colony members exactly where the flower patches are in relation to the hive. This allows the other bees to go find that patch and collect more nectar. Collaboration allows them to make even more honey during the year.
The bees proceed to ingest the nectar they collect from the flowers. Their stomach enzymes help digest the nectar, and convert it into honey. Bees regurgitate honey into the honeycomb. The colony works all spring and summer, so when winter comes, they have food to nourish themselves. Honey does not rot or go bad when stored in honeycomb, so it can stay there until it is needed. In 1922, preserved honey was found in Egyptian tombs, and it was perfectly edible.
When the snowy blanket of winter arrives, the bees can no longer go out and collect nectar, as all the flowers have died. For nourishment, the bees break open the honeycombs they filled with honey in the previous months, and eat the honey. This honey lasts them through the winter, and into the spring, when they make more honey.
In regions with snowy winters, local beekeepers can harvest summer honey only, as this is the only time of year where honey is manufactured by the bees. However, in other areas, where there isn’t snow during winter, there is both a summer and winter harvest, as bees can collect nectar throughout the year.
Bees have an extraordinary way of making sure they have enough food for when the time comes, and they are truly remarkable and incredible little insects. As a result of storing honey for such a long time, these creatures have a secure food bank, for when the need arises. This way, they’ve ensured their survival.
These amazing creatures have shown that they have the capability to build a storage facility, create food, and preserve it perfectly, all with minimal waste. A perfect lesson in food security for us human beings. Don’t you agree?
POETRY CATEGORY
A Poem About Food
Jacob Kinsky, age 15
"I was inspired to write my poem because food security is an issue that is prevalent in my area. I thought that this project would be an interesting experience, and that the issue I would write about would be one that is relevant to my community."
Amidst the field of budding sprouts
Farmers farm to feed our mouths
Their produce taken from their fields
To be plated for our meals.
Food is universal human right
Regardless of race, gender and creed.
Its guarantee is consistent
Except for those who live a life of inconsistencies.
Its a problem faced by many
A universal human right,
followed by a universal human question?
How to guarantee consistency?
Everyone is different
People live different lives
Yet everyone has one thing in common,
The need for food.
But that begs the question:
If everyone needs it, why doesn't everyone have it?
There is no answer, no remedy, no solution.
a wound that will never heal, regardless of how many fields you plow.
The universal human question.
Where there is no solution
Can there even be improvement?
It is after all a universal human right.
Jacob Kinsky, age 15
"I was inspired to write my poem because food security is an issue that is prevalent in my area. I thought that this project would be an interesting experience, and that the issue I would write about would be one that is relevant to my community."
Amidst the field of budding sprouts
Farmers farm to feed our mouths
Their produce taken from their fields
To be plated for our meals.
Food is universal human right
Regardless of race, gender and creed.
Its guarantee is consistent
Except for those who live a life of inconsistencies.
Its a problem faced by many
A universal human right,
followed by a universal human question?
How to guarantee consistency?
Everyone is different
People live different lives
Yet everyone has one thing in common,
The need for food.
But that begs the question:
If everyone needs it, why doesn't everyone have it?
There is no answer, no remedy, no solution.
a wound that will never heal, regardless of how many fields you plow.
The universal human question.
Where there is no solution
Can there even be improvement?
It is after all a universal human right.