My Jerusalem Painting Competition
(MJPC)
As many participants requested additional time for submission, the submission deadline has been extended until the end of February
The" My Jerusalem Painting Competition "(MJPC) is an activity that is being organized by the State of Israel Embassy in Ethiopia with the spirit of celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.
Through painting, the competition encourages students around Ethiopia to share their views on different aspects of Jerusalem and the millennium old relationship with Ethiopia. This in turn inspires people in both countries to see the long history of the two countries in the eyes of the students. It is hoped that the paintings portray the individual views of Jerusalem and the Embassy aims to increase the bilateral relationships between the two countries by fostering and transferring what had been established by our forefathers.
Brief history of Jerusalem
Historically and politically, spiritually and culturally, Jerusalem represents the heart and soul of the Jewish people. Reunification under Israeli sovereignty has ended the religious discrimination and desecration carried out under Jordanian control. Only under Israeli sovereignty have Jerusalem and its religious sites been open to all people.
King David made Jerusalem the capital of his kingdom and the religious center of the Jewish people in 1003 BCE. Some forty years later, his son Solomon built the Temple (the religious and national center of the people of Israel) and transformed the city into the prosperous capital of an empire extending from the Euphrates to Egypt.
Exiled by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BCE, who conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple, the Jews were allowed to return and rebuild the city and the Temple some 50 years later by the Persian King Cyrus.
Alexander the Great conquered Jerusalem in 332 BCE. The later desecration of the Temple and attempts to suppress Jewish religious identity under the Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV resulted in a revolt led by Judah Maccabbee, who rededicated the Temple (164 BCE) and re-established Jewish independence under the Hasmonean dynasty.
A century later, Pompey imposed Roman rule on Jerusalem. King Herod, installed as ruler of Judah by the Romans (37 - 4 BCE), established cultural institutions in Jerusalem, erected magnificent public buildings and refashioned the Temple into an edifice of splendor.
Jewish revolt against Rome broke out in 66 CE, as Roman rule after Herod's death became increasingly oppressive. In 70 CE, Roman legions under Titus conquered the city and destroyed the Temple. Jewish independence was briefly restored during the Bar Kochba revolt (132-135), but again the Romans prevailed. Jews were forbidden to enter the city, renamed Aelia Capitolina.
After Byzantine conquest of the city (313), Jerusalem was transformed into a Christian center under Emperor Constantine, with the Church of the Holy Sepulcher the first of many grandiose structures built in the city.
Muslim armies invaded the country in 634, and four years later Caliph Omar captured Jerusalem. Only during the reign of Abdul Malik, who built the Dome of the Rock (691), did Jerusalem briefly become the seat of a caliph.
The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem in 1099, massacred its Jewish and Muslim inhabitants, and established the city as the capital of the Crusader Kingdom. Synagogues were destroyed, old churches were rebuilt and many mosques were turned into Christian shrines. Crusader rule over Jerusalem ended in 1187, when the city fell to Saladin.
In 1247 Jerusalem fell once more to Egypt, now ruled by the Mamluks, until the conquest by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the city walls (1537). After his death, the central authorities in Constantinople took little interest in Jerusalem and the city declined.
Jerusalem began to thrive once more in the latter half of the 19th century. Growing numbers of Jews returning to their land, waning Ottoman power and revitalized European interest in the Holy Land led to renewed development of Jerusalem.
The British army led by General Allenby conquered Jerusalem in 1917. From 1922 to 1948, Jerusalem was the administrative seat of the British authorities in the Land of Israel (Palestine), which had been entrusted to Great Britain by the League of Nations.
Competition launches (opens for entries)
30/01 / 2018 Competition entry deadline
10/02 /2018 Winners informed
15/02 /2018 Award ceremony and exhibition
Post painting(s) to the Israel Embassy in Addis Abba P.o. Box1266 and aim for it to reach the Embassy before the deadline 30/01 / 2018. The envelope or container of the painting(s) should be marked “My Jerusalem Painting Competition.”
Participants are also encouraged to scan and submit their painting online in order to speed up the selection process. They must however ensure that they still send the physical painting to the Embassy before the deadline to complete the entry. Entering a painting online will allow the participant to provide more information about your painting, stay notified on the competition and learn more about the competition.
Prizes
o There will be total of 9 prizes. top three form each category of the competition(Primary, Secondary and High school)
o Winner students will be awarded painting maters to further develop and master there craft. Moreover, winner paintings will be displayed in galleries located in Ethiopia and Israel. The paintings will also be posted on the Embassy's official website and Social Media.
Entry rules and guidelines
Please read carefully the following rules and guidelines and ensure that your painting complies with the conditions before submission, to avoid disqualification. For more information, email: Public-Relations@addisababa.mfa.gov.il
1. Age Group – competition is open to all students form primary to high school. However, the competition will be held based on the below listed age groups separately.
o Primary school
o Secondary school and
o High school
2. Painting size – painting must be done on A3 paper or larger paper only
3. Contact details (in English and Amharic only) – full name, date of birth (day, month, and year), School, gender and full address (Region, Sub city, Woreda, Kebele, House number) including phone and e-mail must be written on the back of the painting – preferably on a sticker. Do not write anything on the front side of the painting
4. Painting eligibility
a. Paintings must be original and created specifically for this competition. Entries that have been shown or accepted elsewhere will be disqualified.
b. Paintings that show a particular person, an organization or a brand name will not be accepted.
c. Paintings should be posted or sent via email to the embassy to arrive on or before 30/01 / 2018.
Selection process
The jury will make their decisions based on the following criteria:
1. Interpretation and the clarity of the theme to the viewer;
2. Creativity and originality of the depicted theme;
3. Quality of artistic composition and overall design based on the theme;
4. Overall impression of the art. (What is the effect of the artwork in general and as a whole? Overall, does the artwork stand on its own as a complete and outstanding work of art.
Terms and conditions
1. Entry into the My Jerusalem Painting Competition is subject to acceptance of these terms and conditions.
2. By entering the competition you assign copyright of your painting(s) to the organizers
3. Finalists will be posted on the Embassy's website and opened to public voters to determine the final top three winners.
4. Winners may be required for promotional activity
5. The painting(s) will not be returned and will be used for exhibitions, websites, posters, publications, etc.
Frequently asked questions
1. Can I submit more than one painting?
o Yes, you can. You are welcome to submit as many paintings as you like to increase your chances to win.
2. Can I submit online only?
o No, you must send your original painting to the Embassy to complete the submission process
3. What if I cannot scan and submit my painting online?
o Don’t worry! Post your painting to the Embassy P.O. Box 1266
4. What if I don’t have paint?
o We accept crayons and colored pencils in that case. We do not accept collages or mosaics
5. Does the Embassy provide painting materials if I don’t have any?
o In the interest of fairness to all potential entrants, the Embassy does not offer any painting materials to the participants.
6. How will the paintings be judged?
o We will look at the clarity of the theme, creativity, originality, quality, composition and overall impression of the art.
7. Will I still have rights to my painting?
o Yes you will. However by entering it into the My Jerusalem Painting Competition you are accepting that the State of Israel Embassy in Ethiopia have unrestricted rights to use, manipulate, change, share or sell your painting for the benefit of the competition. The Embassy will endeavour to accredit you as the artist. Please remember to update your contact details with us should they change.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPETITION PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US
Tel: 251- 11 – 6460 - 999
Fax: 251-11-6461961