As the National Archives celebrates the centennial of women’s suffrage through its Rightfully Hers exhibit, we invited students in grades 4, 5 and 6 to compete in our Rightfully Yours Youth Art Competition. Over the course of several months we received 178 total submissions from 32 schools in 17 states. All contestants were asked to create a piece of art that answers one simple question:
What does the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote mean to you and your community?
The National Archives celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment’s ratification with its newest exhibit, Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. The exhibition features more than 90 items—including the original 19th Amendment and other records, artifacts, and photographs—that look beyond suffrage parades and protests to the often overlooked story behind this landmark moment in American history. Want to learn more about the exhibit that inspired our Rightfully Yours competition?
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
Name: Valentina Roever
School: Glenfield Middle School (NJ)
Age: 12
Grade: 6
Title: Reflecting on Women’s Right to Vote
Description: My artwork is twofold; one side shows women striking on the streets in the 1940s. The other side shows many women in the 21st century standing in line to vote. At the front of the line, there is a young girl dreaming/thinking about how hard those women worked to make a future where women could have the freedom to vote. Because of their sacrifice, women can do more than just vote. They can be anything!
As part of her prize, Valentina and her family joined us for a night of educational activities and performances about women’s suffrage at our February sleepover. As adventurers navigated the museum after hours, Valentina’s artwork was on display along with the artwork of each grade-level winner. It was also used to inspire a line of original suffrage-related products for sale in the National Archives Store!
“Because of their sacrifice, women can do more than just vote. They can be anything!”
Valentina Roever, age 12
GRADE 4 WINNER
Name: Alexia Sheppard
School: Allen Village School
Age: 9
Grade: 4
Title: Masterpiece of Women’s Rights
Description: The 1920’s was a very important time in America, it was a time where my great-great-great grandmother and the rest of the women in the United State of America received one of the greatest accomplishments. The equal right to vote! As I began to read and learn more about the 19th Amendment, I learned that there were still some struggles along the way. Being a young girl, I am still learning about the 19 Amendment and it means to vote, but I know in the future I will be able to vote because of the women who fought for my right!
GRADE 5 WINNER
Name: Sadie Thompson
School: Theodore Roosevelt School (NJ)
Age: 11
Grade: 5
Title: Yes Women Can
Description: I made that poster very unique because in the poster you can see that some color is out of line and the stars are not the same as the normal flag. They are actually just scattered. That was intentional, I meant for it to be like that and that shows that not every woman or man are perfect, but that doesn’t mean that one is better than the other. that just means that can be better and one can be worst. But women may not be perfect but neither are men. Women are able to do anything a man can do and maybe even better. If I ever have kids, I will make sure that when they are born, men and women will have the same rights.
GRADE 6 WINNER
Name: Nishitha Putrevu
School: Webb Bridge Middle School
Age: 11
Grade: 6
Title: We Can Do It
Description: The 19th Amendment Act brought a remarkable change in the lives of women in the USA. This Act guaranteed all the American women the right to vote which forms the center part of my picture. Women’s suffrage ensured equality and their unity lead to a big victory as shown on top. Women became leaders, stepped into various fields making progression in their careers. This picture also depicts the freedom women are enjoying due to the Act raising them into different professionals like police officer, doctor, actor etc. Also, to make it a fun challenge, we can try finding out the hidden word “VOTE” in my picture!!
Thank you to everyone who entered our competition and submitted inspiring works of art! We received outstanding works of art from:
Alaska
Arkansas
California
Connecticut
Georgia
Kansas
Massachusetts
Maryland
Maine
Minnesota
Missouri
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Virginia
Presented in conjunction with our exhibition: Rightfully Hers: American Women and the Vote. Rightfully Hers is made possible in part by the National Archives Foundation through the generous support of Unilever, Pivotal Ventures, Carl M. Freeman Foundation in honor of Virginia Allen Freeman, AARP, AT&T, Ford Motor Company Fund, Facebook, Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation, Google, HISTORY ®, and Jacqueline B. Mars. Additional support for National Outreach and Programs provided by Denise Gwyn Ferguson, BMO Financial Group, Hearst Foundations, Maris S. Cuneo Foundation, FedEx, Bernstein Family Foundation, and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation/Ambassador Fay-Hartog Levin (Ret.).