Standing Bear Illustration Contest

Enter your illustrations and you could be featured in the Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program!

Deadline extended! Contest entrants now have until March 13, 2019, to submit illustrations!

About the Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program

The Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program was designed to strengthen individual and community wellness by supporting Indigenous youth to make positive changes, through access to culturally grounded opportunities for growth and development.  A Standing Bear represents strength and courage in the face of a challenge or adversity. In the case of ISWO’s Standing Bear Program, it is representative of youth identifying the need to stand up, stand tall and represent Indigenous ways of knowing, learning, and doing.

About the Contest

TO ENTER the Illustration Contest, choose one of the 6 groups below and submit up to 5 illustrations depicting that Standing Bear program stream and submit your illustrations to either Kylie.Thompson@iswo.ca (with the subject line Standing Bear Illustration Contest) or by mail to:

Attn: Standing Bear Illustration Contest

Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario

1090 Aerowood Dr. Unit 1A

Mississauga, ON L4W 1Y5

Your design submission must be accompanied by a complete Entry Form. Download a copy of the Entry Form here. 

Each stream requires the 6 illustrations listed, select a stream and create the listed scenarios with elements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis culture clearly represented.

Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program Streams:

Creative Arts

1. Creating traditional regalia
2. Demonstrating beadwork or drum making
3. Youth painting
4. Basket making or birch bark box making
5. Creating digital art on computer or laptop
6. Singing or music group

Community Activism

1. Youth shaking hands
2. Volunteering in the community
3. Thinking
4. Dreaming/visioning a future
5. Refereeing or resolving conflict
6. Posed as a superhero

 Cultural Education

1. Sitting in a sharing circle
2. An elder counselling one or more youth
3. Participating in language lessons
4. Storytelling
5. Camping
6. Medicine picking

Exploring Job and Life Skills

1. Using a cell phone or laptop to connect with others
2. Speaking in front of a group
3. Preparing a resume
4. Job interview
5. In a learning setting
6. Training with adult

Health and Wellness

1. Dancing wearing traditional regalia
2. Meditating in a nature setting
3. Picking berries
4. Cooking in an outdoor setting
5. Hunting
6. Gardening

Sport and Recreation

1. Playing lacrosse
2. Basketball
3. Hockey
4. Kayaking/canoeing
5. Snowshoeing
6. Dancing wearing traditional regalia

Winning artists will each receive a $100.00 VISA gift card!

When creating Standing Bear Program illustrations, you must consider the following contest requirements:

• The Proposed Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program illustrations will need to be no larger than 4” wide and 6” tall (4×6) or 540×360 pixels;
• The Proposed Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program illustrations must be submitted in black and white format;
• The Proposed Standing Bear Youth Leadership Program illustrations must be appropriate and be reflective or representative of Ontario’s Indigenous culture;
• The submitted illustrations must be an original piece of art having been created by the Contest Entrant and have never been commercially or promotionally used or exploited previously; and
• The design may be created using traditional art tools (ex. markers, pencil crayons, paint) or digital programs, but must be in black and white; and
• Contest Entrants can enter into a maximum of two (2) streams.

View the contest rules and regulations here.

Any questions regarding the Standing Bear Illustration Contest can be directed to ISWO Communications Coordinator Kylie Thompson at Kylie.Thompson@iswo.ca.