***AWARDS CELEBRATION – MONDAY MARCH 23, 2026***
6:30 PM Reception, Student Art Exhibit, Refreshments
7:00 PM Presentation of Awards and Student Reading
All are welcome.
Where? Torrance Memorial Medical Center, Hoffman Health Conference Center
3330 Lomita Blvd. – turn South at Medical Center Drive stoplight. At the third stop sign, turn right for parking in the structure.
Awards Celebration
All Literary contestants who place 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or Honorable Mention normally give verbal presentations of their works at the Visions of Unity Awards Celebration. This celebration is attended by students, parents, local elected officials, TUSD administrators, and community members who support the mission and students of Visions of Unity.
The Visions of Unity Awards Celebration will take place on March 23, 2026 at the Torrance Memorial Medical Center Hoffman Health Center. Attendance is strongly encouraged for winners to receive their prize checks. The reception with refreshments starts at 6:30pm. The ceremony begins promptly at 7:00pm.
Winners will receive cash awards, thanks to the generosity of the sponsors below. Over the last 25 years, more than 1,000 students have received awards and over $125,000 in cash prizes.
Winning art entries will also be displayed in the Katy Geissert Civic Center Library showcase (if they fit on the 2′ high shelves) soon after the gala and will remain on display for a few weeks before they are returned to the artists.
Contest Categories
Literature: Poetry, Essay, and Short Story
Visual Arts: Drawing, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, and Computer Graphics
Enter the Contest
Read all the contest rules and guidelines to make sure your entry will be accepted. The Visions of Unity contest is open only to students attending the high schools in Torrance, California.
The contest entry form is available at https://visionsofunity.com/enter-the-contest (or click the “Enter the Contest” link at the top of the page).
Literature and art entries must be submitted on or by Monday February 2, 2026.
For painting and drawing submissions, please make sure to take a high-resolution image, free of obstructions. For 3D artwork, like sculptures, please submit pictures from multiple angles. If you need help properly photographing your art, visit How to Photograph Artwork or How to Photograph Your Art. Be sure your photographs are at least 300 dpi.
If your artwork is selected, it will be picked up from your school and displayed at the Visions of Unity event.
Students may submit no more than one entry in Literature and no more than one entry in Art. You can submit no more than one entry in each of those two categories.