FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Chelsea Hedquist
chelsea@lantosfoundation.org
Lantos Foundation Announces 2023 Activist Artist Scholarship Winners
Four New Hampshire High School Seniors to Receive $15,000 in Scholarship Funds
CONCORD (April 26, 2023) — The Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice today announced that Rose Kosciuszek of John Stark Regional High School and Isabella Venezia of Keene High School will receive the first place awards for the annual Activist Artist Scholarship competition. Each will receive a $5,000 scholarship to be paid to the 2- or 4-year college or university they plan to attend in the fall.
This year’s competition for the first time offered applicants the chance to submit to two distinct categories: The essay category challenges applicants to examine the influence of a particular “Activist Artist” and show how that artist used their medium to influence, inform and inspire during their lifetime or beyond; in the second category, applicants have the option to submit their own original piece of activist art, along with a “museum plaque” describing their work.
Ms. Kosciuszek wrote a compelling essay based on the work “Putin Filled with Ukrainian Blood” by Andrei Molodkin. “The war in Ukraine rages on, and shows no sign of stopping,” she writes. “Nothing can replace the lives that have been lost in this meaningless display of Russian territorialism, but this portrait will stand as a reminder of how much blood has been spilled, and who deserves the blame.”
Ms. Venezia received the first place award in the original artwork category for her ceramic work titled “A Censored Scream.” This piece vividly illustrates the issue of internet freedom and the experience of people living under authoritarian regimes, trapped behind a firewall and unable to access truth and information.
Two scholarships of $2,500 each were awarded to the runners-up, including: Leah Deuso of Newfound Regional High School for her essay on the graffiti artwork of Afghan artist and women’s rights activist Shamsia Hassani; and Sydney Smith of Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, whose original art contrasted the lives of two boys – one a child laborer farming cocoa in West Africa, the other eating a chocolate bar and oblivious to the suffering it perpetuated.
Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation, congratulated the four scholarship winners and said, “Art has a unique role to play in the struggle for human rights. It can be a tool to advocate for freedom and justice in powerful ways that words alone cannot achieve. We are so thrilled to recognize the work of these four impressive students; they have truly grasped what we mean when we talk about ‘activist art’. We hope the scholarships they receive will enable them to continue learning and defending human rights around the world. We are grateful to the Bank of New Hampshire for making this program possible, and for the participation of our distinguished judges.”
Funding for the scholarships is generously provided through a grant from the Bank of New Hampshire. Miranda Augustine, Marketing Coordinator for the Bank, said, “Bank of New Hampshire is proud to support the Lantos Foundation's mission of recognizing and elevating the important role that artists play in the human rights movement. It was an honor to judge and witness the impressive work of these four scholarship winners and all the applicants. We are committed to helping foster a world where creativity and activism can work together to make a positive impact.”
The winners were selected by a panel of judges from the New Hampshire arts and education communities, and beyond, with a diverse range of experience and perspectives. This year’s judges included: Concord film-maker John Gfroerer, New Hampshire artist and gallery owner Pam Tarbell, Lantos Foundation Board of Trustees Treasurer Ambassador Richard Swett, Bank of New Hampshire’s Miranda Augustine, digital media specialist Isaac Campbell, Lantos Foundation President Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, Duke University student and former Lantos Foundation intern Daniel Wolf, and Tufts University student and former Lantos Foundation intern Leyla Mandel.
This year, a small number of submissions were also selected as honorable mentions, including: Lillian Sununu of Winnacunnet High School (essay category), Polly Vaillant of Phillips Exeter Academy and Kayla Taylor of Concord High School (original art category). Following graduation, the scholarship winners and honorable mentions will be continuing their studies at a range of impressive colleges and universities, including Columbia University, Vanderbilt University, Northeastern University, University of New Hampshire, Keene State College, and others.
The Activist Artist Scholarship program falls within the Lantos Foundation’s “Global Citizenship” area of work. The Foundation recognizes the powerful, yet often overlooked, role that artists play in the human rights movement. Through the Activist Artist Scholarship and other programs, including the Front Line Fund grant program, the Foundation seeks to encourage, support and elevate the work of artists who use their mediums to advocate for important causes.
To learn more about the Foundation’s Activist Artist work and to stay updated on future awards, visit: https://www.lantosfoundation.org/activist-artist
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About the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice: The Lantos Foundation was established in 2008 to carry forward the legacy of Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a leading human rights champion. Based in Concord, NH, the Foundation works with a range of partners and often in cooperation with the U.S. Government on issues that span the globe. The Foundation’s key areas of focus include human rights issues related to religious freedom, rule of law, internet freedom and activist art. The Foundation also administers the Lantos Congressional Fellows Program, supports human rights advocates, activists and artists through its Front Line Fund grant program, and awards the annual Lantos Human Rights Prize to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. Past recipients of the Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Professor Elie Wiesel, Israeli President Shimon Peres, Iraqi Parliamentarian Vian Dakhil, “Hotel Rwanda” hero Paul Rusesabagina, and Hong Kong Democracy activist Joshua Wong, among others.