Lantos Activist Artist Scholarship

The Concord, NH based Lantos Foundation for Human rights and Justice was established in 2008 to carry on the legacy and work of Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever to serve in Congress. His fervent belief was that the U.S.'s steadfast devotion to the values of decency, dignity, and freedom make us both the strongest and the most hopeful nation on the face of the earth. In both big ways internationally and smaller ways here at home in New Hampshire, we carry on that legacy through our work with programs focused on religious freedom, rule of law and global citizenship. Our "Activist Artist" initiative recognizes the powerful connection between human rights and artists around the world. Human rights activists come from many different backgrounds, but one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, forces in the human rights movement are the artists. Artists can challenge, inform, inspire and ultimately move communities toward understanding, acceptance and change. Through diverse media, such as film, writing, theater, dance, music, painting, poetry and drawing, artists express the raw emotions that can often provoke needed attention and action on human rights crises around the world. As part of out Global Citizenship work, the Lantos Foundation is committed to supporting, encouraging, and recognizing the work of Artist Activists who tell human rights stories in ways that are unique, inspiring and significant. The Activist Artist Scholarship was launched in 2020 as an annual competition dedicated to the work of Activist Artists all over the world. All applicants will be challenged to examine the influence of a particular Activist Artist and show how that artist used his/her medium to influence, inform and inspire during their lifetime or beyond, or alternatively, to create their own piece of activist art.