To encourage young students to learn more about their city’s past, the Mesa Historic Preservation Board is sponsoring a historical essay and visual arts contest.

The historical essay competition is open to all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students regardless of whether they attend public, private, charter or home school. There is also an essay and visual arts contest for all seventh through 12th graders living in Mesa. Both contests allow students to learn more about Mesa’s history while practicing their writing or visual skills as they create a story around a historic event in the city. The contest is open until March 10.

For the writing contest, entries will be a historical essay or fictional story on one of three topics:

• Sports in Mesa/athletes in Mesa before 1970
• Description of a historic home in Mesa contrasted with a contemporary home
• Famous women in Mesa before 1970

For the visual arts contest, students can practice their skills in video production, sketching, painting or building a 3D model on one of three topics:

• Historic building in Mesa
• Historic sign in Mesa
• History maker: Imagine you are an influencer describing Mesa’s history

Each entry must reflect the student’s research, original thinking and writing or visual skills. Entry forms and essays or videos can be sent to historicpreservation@mesaaz.gov. Visual arts projects should be delivered to the Historic Preservation Office, 55 N. Center St., to the attention of Dawn Dallman.

Essay or visual arts projects and entry forms can also be mailed to:

City of Mesa Historic Preservation Office
Attn: Dawn Dallman
City of Mesa
P.O. Box 1466
Mesa, AZ 85211-1466

Entries must be postmarked on or before the contest date of March 10, 2023. Once submitted, entries become property of the Mesa Historic Preservation Board and will not be returned.

The essay and visual arts contests will be judged and awarded separately. Every contestant will receive a certificate of participation. There will be cash awards given to the first ($50), second ($30) and third ($20) place contest winners in each category.

Mesa City Council will recognize the top three essay writers and visual arts creators in each category during Historic Preservation Month in May. The Historic Preservation Office’s webpage has more information and the entry form. For more information about Mesa’s Historic Preservation Office, contact Historic Preservation Coordinator Maura Jackson at 480-644-2021 or maura.jackson@mesaaz.gov.