On September 6th, 2021 / Rosh Hashanah 5782, with the heralding of the Jewish New Year, the Jewish people entered the shmita year in our cycle of the seasons. Jewish tradition teaches about a shmita year occurring every seven years, a time of release with Biblical and contemporary applications to our relationships with land, food, debt, work/rest, equity and more.

Jewish tradition is rooted in ritual objects, texts, music and practices that facilitate both a personal and collective engagement with the Jewish cycle of the year. At Hazon and with our international partners, we are harnessing the power of the arts to explore the intersection of the shmita wisdom teachings with contemporary Jewish life. The Shmita Prizes award artists and creatives – from all levels of experience and age groups – for works of art that bring into focus the relevancy and application of shmita values in our contemporary world. These art works will offer creative avenues with which to prepare for, mark and engage with the shmita year.

The Shmita Prizes web page will house a living archive of the creative responses submitted. This shmita creative arts library will serve as a source of inspiration, while building a global network of Jewish artists committed to engaging with the teachings and values of shmita. A committee of professional artists will select one artist in each category to be awarded $1800 with three additional awards of $250 each.