In September 2004, the first Fresh Ideas Poster and Creative Writing Contest opened for students attending schools in Deanwood, a neighborhood in far Northeast Washington, D.C. Deidre Gantt – a Deanwood native as well as a writer, designer, and entrepreneur – founded the contest as a way to encourage young artists and writers from the neighborhood to see the arts as a tool for creating solutions to the problems facing our community. The idea was to give students access to the tools and experiences they needed to continue developing their talent.

That October, six students from three schools turned in posters on the subject What Will Deanwood Look Like in 2010 and essays on the subject If I Were Mayor, This Is What I'd Do to Stop Violence and Crime in Our City! They won sketchbooks, writing journals, portfolios, plaques, passes to the City Museum of DC, Karibu Books gift certificates. We distributed the prizes during the Sons and Daughters of Deanwood Annual Community Picnic. We also visited the classrooms of students who could not attend the picnic. Mr. Greggs, executive director of our nonprofit partner, Sign of the Times Cultural Workshop and Gallery, also made the rounds to photograph some of the winners.

Fresh Ideas 2 kicked off in January 2006 with more eligible schools, more prizes, and a new theme: How Can Creativity Make Our Community a Better Place to Live? During kickoff presentations made at the participating elementary schools, several contest judges gave interactive, motivational talks to students about how they became professional artists and writers. The entry period also expanded from two weeks to seven weeks. As a result of increased outreach and the generosity of our funder and prize sponsors, this year's contest marked a 100 percent growth in school participation and over 400 percent growth in contestants.  

In keeping with the mission of giving Ward 7's young, positive artists more exposure, Fresh Ideas 2 will culminate in the first annual Winner’s Exhibit, to be held in May 2006 at Capitol View Public Library, as well as an awards ceremony and winner’s reception, which will allow the community’s artists and writers to meet and greet this year's "Fresh Idealists."

We will continue to partner with government agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and individuals who share and support our vision. We are grateful for the financial and in-kind support of our past and current sponsors, including Sign of the Times Cultural Workshop and Gallery, Inc., D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Washington Engraving Company, and Karibu Books, Sons and Daughters of Deanwood, the City Museum of DC, and numerous individuals who have dedicated time and money to our mission.