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January 03, 2025
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NEW YORK STATE’S 2025 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. FINE ARTS AND ESSAY EXHIBITION FEATURES THE WORK OF 2,208 YOUNG ARTISTS AND WRITERS1,663 Essays and Pieces of Student Art Submitted from 67 Schools Statewide |
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Exhibit Can be Viewed Online Here, Beginning January 3
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Office of General Services (OGS) today announced the January 3 opening of the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fine Arts and Essay Exhibition. Dr. King’s commitment to nonviolent advocacy served as the inspiration for 2,208 students from 67 public and private schools across the state to submit their creations. The submissions, which include several group projects, mark just the fourth time more than 1,000 pieces of student artwork will be on display at the Empire State Plaza in Albany and online for this exhibition. “The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fine Arts and Essay Exhibition is an opportunity for students across New York State to express how Dr. King’s legacy inspires them to pursue a world where everyone’s rights are secured and protected,” said Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy. “This year’s national theme for the annual King Holiday Observance is ‘Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence,’ and it resonates within the art and essays produced by the talented students who participated in this year’s exhibition.”
NYS Board of Regents Chancellor Lester W. Young Jr. said, “I believe strongly in the transformative power of the arts and the written word. When students engage in artistic and creative endeavors, they broaden their vision of the world and develop a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. I am delighted that so many New York State students and teachers have chosen to participate in this year’s Fine Arts and Essay Exhibition. I can’t imagine a better way for students to celebrate and honor Dr. King’s enduring legacy.”
NYS Commissioner of Education Betty A. Rosa said, “I am so thrilled to see this tremendous outpouring of respect and admiration for Dr. King expressed so beautifully in our students’ artwork and essays. It’s important to remember that this annual Exhibition is more than a celebration of Dr. King’s life and legacy; it is also a celebration of our shared history, culture, and the joy and empowerment which come from creativity and hard work. I thank the Office of General Services and Commissioner Jeanette Moy for once again working closely with the State Education Department to present this year’s Exhibition – and I encourage all New Yorkers to view, read, and enjoy our students’ wonderfully creative expressions.”?
Each year, NYSED invites schools to honor Dr. King’s memory by submitting original student artworks and essays that reflect Dr. King’s teaching. The student art and essays illustrate Dr. King’s Six Principles and Steps of Nonviolence and celebrate Dr. King’s birthday.
The entire exhibit is posted online at www.empirestateplaza.ny.gov/nyking.
To honor Dr. King’s legacy and celebrate Black History Month in February, several pieces of student art will also be exhibited by OGS on the Empire State Plaza in Albany starting January 3 and throughout Black History Month in February.
Among the highlights of this year’s exhibit:
The public is also invited to watch New York State’s annual commemoration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which will be presented as a statewide broadcast event, “We Press On: New York State Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” airing on PBS stations throughout New York beginning January 18. The public also may watch the program at?empirestateplaza.ny.gov/nyking?beginning at 10 a.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 20.
Please visit?empirestateplaza.ny.gov/nyking and follow @NYSGeneralServices on Instagram and @NewYorkStateOGS on Facebook for PBS member station program updates and additional information about New York’s celebration of Dr. King's life and legacy.
As in years past, New York State is hosting several service-related programs to fulfill Dr. King’s vision of community, including the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Food Drive, which concludes February 18, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Statewide Book Drive, which takes place February 21 through April 18.
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