Teen immigrant from Moldova wins annual HIAS poster contest

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (JTA) — Images of hope and a country full of promise were the prominent motifs of the more than 500 entries to this year’s poster contest for new immigrant youth sponsored by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. HIAS has announced the 1997 winner of the annual contest: 10-year- old Kseniya Tuchinskaya of San Francisco. Her depiction of this year’s theme, “Citizenship Across America,” showed children in a hot-air balloon floating over the United States. Her poster also included pictures of the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge. Tuchinskaya immigrated to the United States four years ago from Moldova. “America has offered us many opportunities and much happiness,” she said. She received a $1000 savings bond for her winning entry.
HIAS also awarded $100 savings bonds to the three runners-up and $50 savings bonds to the eight finalists. The poster contest is “a way of helping children to express what it means to be in this country,” said Rachelle Grossman, a HIAS spokeswoman. Many of these expressions included pictures of American symbols such as the American flag and the Stature of Liberty, as well as images depicting the United States as a multiracial, multicultural society. Immigrant children ages 4 through 15 were eligible to participate in the annual contest. Their artwork was judged by HIAS staff in the areas of creativity, originality, artistic technique and adherence to the selected theme. This is the third year that HIAS has sponsored the contest. The winning posters will be featured in the 1998 HIAS children’s art calendar.