Philadelphia 76ers Announce Mentoring Art Project

What does mentoring mean to you? That’s the question being asked by the Philadelphia 76ers in conjunction with My Brother’s Keeper Philly (MBK Philly) in a new contest. The two entities have announced the first-ever 76ers Mentoring Art Project. Philadelphia young people and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24 can participate in the contest by submitting literary pieces or artwork having to do with the theme of mentoring. The contest is the product of cooperation between multiple agencies, including The Mentoring Partnership & Resource Center, School District of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Youth Commission, and the City of Philadelphia Office of Arts, Culture, & the Creative Economy.

The 76ers, in conjunction with other agencies, are hosting the art and literature contest.

The contest finalists will be judged by Allen Iverson, a Sixers legend and an amateur artist in his own right. Iverson will display some of his own work alongside the finalists at an event at City Hall on Thursday, January 7, during National Mentoring Month. The goal is to empower youth and young adults to express themselves through visual mediums to share their thoughts on the subject of mentoring.

There will be twenty winning pieces among three age categories – ages 10-13, 14-18, and 19-24. They will go on display in City Hall, the National Mentorship Summit in Washington DC, the Sixers home arena, and then permanently at Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern Pennsylvania. Judges will review the first 100 submissions and judge them on the basis of clarity of theme, connection to mentorship, creativity, and artistic ability.

Mayor Michael Nutter lauded the project, praising the fact that the contest “will allow Philadelphia youth to illustrate the power of mentoring in their lives.”

Entries are accepted through January 5th, 2016. Go to www.nba.com/sixers/MBK for more details.