The Center for the Humanities at Temple (CHAT) is inviting students to tap into their creativity with the introduction of the Humanities Through Art Contest. Inspired by the Criminal Justice Department’s annual Justice Through Art Contest, CHAT hopes to encourage students to engage with the humanities and offer their interpretation of the center’s annual theme in categories of visual arts, prose and poetry. Prizes reaching up to $400 will be awarded to the winners.
“The CHAT Art Contest grew out of my hope to transform CHAT into a space where arts and humanities truly intersect,” says Christina Baker, CHAT Director and Associate Professor of Latin/x American Theatre & Performance. “With so much empty wall space in the center, the best way to bring it to life is by showcasing the creativity of Temple students.”
CHAT’s theme for the 2025-2026 academic year is Un/Bound. Entrants are asked to explore the various ways we are bound or unbound, as well as related terms like bind, bonds or bondage. This complex concept can take on any number of meanings for students, and that’s just what Baker and the CHAT team are counting on.
“This theme explores how ties can connect or constrain us—socially, historically, and culturally. Binding might describe bodily modifications aligning inner identity with outward appearance; to be bound can signal stuckness or connection to structures; and bonds gesture toward intimacy, community, and solidarity,” she explains. “Whether you work in visual mediums or writing, we want to see how you interpret 'Un/Bound' and bring the theme to life.”
The contest’s poster (seen above) was designed by local artist Dora Moghaddami, TYL ‘25. This week, CHAT hosted a lecture from Moghaddami, “Your Style, Your Story,” about turning inspiration into a personal style and creative identity. Her work will join that of the contest’s winners in CHAT’s new gallery space on the eighth floor of Mazur Hall.
“[Dora] brought all of these ideas to life in this year’s theme poster. Her approach emphasized transparency, opacity, curiosity, exploration, energy, contrast, elegance, and symbolism,” explains Baker. “Her vision—touching on reclaiming identity, anchoring confinement, and elevation—was so inspiring that I wanted students to engage with the theme through their own creative work.”
The Humanities Through Art Contest is open to all undergraduate students. Students can enter at the contest’s web page or e-mail [click-for-email] with any additional questions.