Vortex Creative Writing & Art Competition

Announcing SCC's Annual Vortex Creative Writing and Art Competition!

We are currently accepting submissions for the 2024 Vortex Literary and Art Journal competition! For rules and submission guidelines, please visit the Vortex Submission Website.

  • Submission Deadlines:
  • Art: Friday, February 23, 2024
  • Writing and Music: Friday, March 8, 2024
  • Native Voices and Visions: Friday, March 8, 2024
  • Vortex Competition Flyer

Every Spring Semester, SCC's creative students can submit their writing, artwork, and music for possible inclusion in our award-winning, student-designed, and produced Vortex Literary and Art Journal. Any student enrolled in a minimum of one credit hour during the academic year is eligible to submit Poetry, Creative Nonfiction (Essay), Short Story, Script (Play or Screenplay), Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Photography, Graphic Design, or Music Composition. All selected winners will receive a stipend, publication credit, copies of the 2024 Vortex Literary and Art Journal, and an invitation to attend the 2024 Vortex Celebration and Awards Ceremony on May 2, 2024. For more information, please contact EWLJoffice@scottsdalecc.edu.

Native Voice & Visions Category

The 2024 Native Voices and Visions First-Place winner will receive a $300 scholarship, and the Second-Place winner will receive a $100 scholarship. Native students can be considered for scholarship awards by submitting their work under Native Voices and Visions. For additional information, please contact ana.cuddington@scottsdalecc.edu.

National League of American PEN Women Award

Every year, the Scottsdale Chapter of the National League of American PEN Women graciously awards one of our First-Place student winners a $500 prize. This vital and vibrant organization holds dear its mission "to encourage, recognize, and promote the production of creative work of professional standard in art, letters, and music." The 2024 NLAPW winner will be selected from the ART category.

Congratulations to all of our 2023 Vortex Literary and Art Journal winners!

First Place: "Baseball and Me" David Garfield

Second Place: "Ways" Andrea Burns

Third Place: "The Brand" Patrick Landry Jr.

Honorable Mention: "Fish Food" Kira Caspers

First Place: "Monsoon Swiftly" Barbara Goldberg

Second Place (tie): "Home" Xianna Montoya

Second Place (tie): "Horseshoe Mesa" Jana Peterson

Third Place: "Freddy" Krystina Moran

Honorable Mention: "Not a Bouquet" Barbara Goldberg

First Place: "Weird Things Happen at This Bar All the Time" Ariane Lee

Second Place: "William, Ester, and the Pop" Katy Schultz

Third Place: "The Penny Toss" Angela Verdecchia

Honorable Mention: "Bear" John West

Honorable Mention: "The House on 12th Street" Laney Olson

First Place: "Submissive" Carole Bultema

Second Place: "A Rosetta Review" Dennis Weiland

Third Place: "Playground" Sheri Hanchar

Honorable Mention "The Protection" Patrick Landry Jr.

First Place: "Polaroid Picture" Andreea Miguel

Second Place: "Blessings" Tania Edwards

Third Place: "Women's Floral Masani and Floral Ribbon Skirts" Diedre' Goodluck

First Place: "Blue Dog" John West

Second Place: "Herbert" Jason Weeber

Third Place: "Liberation" Katy Schultz

Honorable Mention: "Cyclone" Richard Rosenberg

Honorable Mention: "Sunset Tree" David Zwicky

First Place: "Just Beyond the Door" Ann Capps

Second Place: "Unresolved" Ariane Lee

Third Place: "Grief Storm" Kylie Huffman

Honorable Mention: "how lucky" Kira Caspers

Honorable Mention: "To Fill Your Potholes" Merry Richard

Honorable Mention: "lady like" Laney Olson

Honorable Mention: "Birds" James Hollcroft
 

First Place: "Alphabet" Goolam Saber

Second Place: "Buried in Venice" Ellie Meylor

Third Place: "Silent Screams" Stephanie Flores

Honorable Mention: "Starry Lady" Savannah Phan

First Place: "A Love Unknown" Everett Pervall

Second Place: "Fissure" Reilly Saunders

Third Place: "Xenobacillus" Christopher Yankeson

First Place and the 2023 National League of American PEN Woman Winner: "The White Room" Antonio Nango

First Place "Calaverita a mi amigo Brian" Karyl Krug

Second Place: "Calaverta por Amor a la Lengua Espanola" Christine Liberato

Congratulations CCHA Literary Contest Winners

The 2023 Vortex Literary and Art Journal took First Place in the Southwestern Region in the Community College Humanities Associations' Best Literary Magazine competition! Nine of our students also received individual awards in the "Best of" categories for the Southwestern Region.

1st Place: "Polaroid Picture" by Andreea Miguel

3rd Place: "Weird Things Happen in This Bar All the Time" by Ariane Lee

2nd Place (tie): "Just Beyond the Door" by Ann Capps

2nd Place (tie): "Grief Storm" by Kylie Huffman

1st Place: "The Brand" by Patrick Landry Jr.

3rd Place: "Ways" by Andrea Burns

1st Place: "Submissive" by Carole Bultema

3rd Place: "Playground" by Sheri Hanchar

First Place: "The White Room" by Anotonio Nango