Pandemic Life-Solace Art and Photography 2020
Solace Charities hosted a new initiative this year Solace Art and Photography Contest 2020. 2020 has been a very gnarly year for all of us. Fear of falling sick kept us not only socially distanced, but socially isolated too. This has been a year which made all of us realize that routine things in life is not to be taken for granted and we need to grateful for every experience. The most prosaic of routines can now deliver delight. Like a bona fide night of restful sleep, or a prolonged moment of enriching silence. Articulating what we’re thankful for and appreciating feels like a herculean task this year in the midst of a pandemic. Turning our attention to the things we do have rather than what we don’t is a tough task, but a crucial one to kindle your gratitude.
This has been a perplexing year for all non profits and Solace is no exception to that. We had to think about creative ways to raise awareness about Solace and help children in need. That’s how the idea of creativity daunted on us. Creating some thing is always therapeutic and helps us heal during this pandemic life. So we launched this contest with a very relevant theme Pandemic life. Our participants especially kids took it to a new trajectory with their exceptional talent.
There were 4 categories Photography, Art Adults, Art Teens and Art kids along with a popular category for out social media engagement. We received a total of 40 entries from all over US. All categories were theme based and submissions exemplified the power of creativity. All submissions were judged by a group of professionals in respective fields. Our judges were Manoj Jayadevan and Jojan Antony for photography and Sreejith Sreedharan and Sheena Raju for Art. Art submissions were judged for composition, representation of the theme, originality, creativity, skill, complexity and caption. While photography submissions were judged for composition, adherence to theme, creativity, color theory, lightning and exposure.
Results of Solace Art and Photography Contest 2020:
Photography: First- Sandeep Harinarayanan, Second- Deepa Nair, Third- Mukil Kumar
Art Adults: First- Ajith Pillai and Indu Ambika Gopalankutty, Second- Sriprada Indrkanti
Third- Sonali Vijai Naik
Art Teens: First- Sam Variyam, Second- Neha Narayanam, Third- Vrinda Inani
Art Kids: First- Mukund Chakravarthy, Second- Gauri Pariyangat and Vygha Vishnu, Third: Anjana Ramkumar
Popular Category: First — Ajith Pillai, Second- Laasya Uday
Results of Art and photography were announced during Solace Charities Banquet 2020, held on Nov 21st, 2020 6:30 PM PST. It’s our hope that, despite the challenges posed by Covid, we were able to turn in a great event on behalf of Solace. Judging from the feedback on social media, the music program presented by Vidhu Prathap and Anju Joseph team and anchored by R.J. Asha was especially popular. In case you missed this part, we recommend checking out the full recording of the event at https://fb.watch/1VyBKuKslH/. Note that you do NOT need a Facebook account to watch it.
If you donated already, we take this opportunity to thank you. We also encourage you to visit one of the several Solace centers in Kerala during your next India trip, to get a first hand view of your generosity in action.
In case you or someone you know is considering making donations, we are listing the donation options below for reference.
- Sponsor a child (costs $17/month or $204 for a year)
- Voluntary hours matched by employer. Many employers match voluntary hours at about $10/hour. Thus, if you contribute 21 hours, that covers the expenses of one child for a year!
- Mail a check in favor of Solace Charities, to 2051 Junction Ave, Suite 218, San Jose, CA 95131 or donate online at https://www.solacecharities.org/donate
- Many other ways to help are listed here: https://www.solacecharities.org/ways-to-help
- Please use https://doublethedonation.com/solacecharities to check if your employer matches donations to Solace.
As we strive to grow Solace Charities as a platform of goodness for years to come, we welcome your suggestions and feedback (please use https://www.solacecharities.org/contact). We hope you continue to support our efforts going forward. And, once again we thank you for supporting Solace Charities.
