Submission deadline is April 8 at 4 p.m.

Oakland County public high school students are invited to submit 2-D and multi-media/video pieces of art related to the importance of financial literacy. Thanks to the sole financial sponsorship from Flagstar Bank, winners from each grade will receive significant cash prizes from a prize pool totaling $10,000. Thanks to Flagstar’s generosity, over $100,000 has been awarded in the past 10 years of this contest. At the conclusion of the contest, posters will be made of all student artwork which, will be display at the Treasurer’s Office for one year.

There are many areas in which a student may choose to explore. Topic suggestions include aspects of financial literacy as it pertains to them—credit card debt, student loans, personal/family money management, financial planning—the list is limitless. Acceptable entries include 2-D (drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, and illustration) and video. Entries are judged on creativity, artistic execution, and the incorporation of the financial literacy theme.

To qualify for the art contest, a student in grades 9-12 must attend a public high school in Oakland County. All artwork must be submitted online no later than April 8 at 4 p.m.; a reception for all participants will be held in May either virtually or in-person – depending on public health circumstances. For more information and to submit entries, please visit https://www.oakgov.com/treasurer/financial-empowerment-center/art-contest/Pages/default.aspx.

“We’re excited to continue the annual art contest and engage Oakland County public high school students in financial education and empowerment through their incredible artistic ability,” said Oakland County Treasurer Robert Wittenberg. “We’re also very thankful for our ongoing partnerships with Flagstar Bank, Oakland Schools and the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency (OLHSA).”

“Serving as a judge last year, I was inspired by the exceptionally creative multimedia art submissions that expressed the importance of financial empowerment,” Wittenberg continued. “I’m looking forward to this year’s contest submissions.”

Kim Goethe, director of Government Banking at Flagstar Bank, values the longstanding partnership with Oakland Schools and the Oakland County Treasurer’s Office. “Flagstar is proud to continue supporting our communities and, especially, our local students,” Goethe said. “Ensuring students learn the fundamentals of financial literacy at a young age will prepare them to make sound financial decisions as they transition into adulthood. As a bonus, the cash prizes provide winners with an opportunity to take what they’ve learned and start saving for the future.”

In addition, Hedy Blatt – who serves as the fine arts consultant for Oakland Schools – emphasizes the value of art in an educational context.

“The arts play a significant role in many of our students’ lives, and we greatly appreciate this innovative learning opportunity originally created by Andy Meisner and sponsored by Flagstar Bank,” said Blatt. “This unique contest is a wonderful way to not only support quality arts education by showcasing our extremely talented high school artists, it’s a creative way for our students to learn important, tangible, lifelong financial literacy skills, which cannot be understated. The student art is absolutely amazing, and a huge thank you goes out to our participating high school art teachers who inspire their students and who have been great supporters of this endeavor.”

Author: MI Asian Staff