For the past forty-seven years the Celebration of the Humanities Competition has recognized excellence in creativity and critical thinking to students at Modesto Junior College.
With over twenty contests in nine different categories, the Celebration of the Humanities Contest offers an opportunity for students to showcase their insights, sills, and passions in a variety of artistic mediums and offers a career enhancement for students seeking employment in a range of different fields. With over $7,000 awarded annually, fundraising has been essential to maintaining this affirmation of the importance of art in our lives. The MJC Foundation has offered very generous financial assistance in the past, but individuals and the business community are historically our greatest supporters.
Some donors sponsor a specific category or prize in honor or memory of a special person; others simply want to remain or become a supporter of the Celebration of the Humanities.
"Winning awards in the painting division of the humanities competition gave the competition gave me the confidence to push forward as an artist and exhibit my work in local shows! Since then, I've taken on multiple commissions and a mural because the Humanities Competition gave me the confidence to put myself out there."
-- Caleb Dowdell, 2020 Art Contest Winner
"Being a participant in the Celebration of the Humanities was a high point of my education at Modesto Junior College. Seeing my drawings displayed in the gallery and having my hard work acknowledged helped inspire me to keep going and pursue my career in art. Being treated as not just a student but as an artist pushed me to keep working on the subject I love most and make it a part of my future."
--Chelsea Gilmore, Former Art Contest Winner, Current instructor of art.