Special Jury Award 2025

Artwork title: I’m Tired. It’s OK.
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 19″x13.5“
Submission ID: 64 (CA, United States)
Category: Drawing & Painting
Group: Middle/High

Artwork description: This piece captures a moment in time during math class when I laid my head down and my teacher asked me what was wrong. I said, “I’m tired” and she said, “It’s OK”. I wanted to tell her much more about how I was feeling. That I felt overwhelmed with my new classes in middle school, that I was worried about my big History project, that I was not sure if I would have anyone to eat lunch with that day, that I felt quite lost being busy doing the everyday things. I did not say any of these things and just continued to lay my head down. Though I appreciated my teacher giving me that space so that I could rest on the outside, even if inside I was swirling in my own anxious thoughts.

Award name: Special Jury Award
Personally selected by the judges for originality, message, and inspiration.