Featured Event:
2026 Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS)

Each year, the YAAS encourages youth from around the globe to express the mission of Sister Cities International through original artwork and literature. The showcase gives us an opportunity to reach out to the community. It enables us to engage local Art and English teachers and reach an audience of public, private and home-schooled students that might not already be included in our Sister City youth programs.

The gifted local artist, Ava Tanner, has emerged as the winner of the annual Sister Cities of Hampton Artist Showcase, receiving a $250 prize. Through her captivating artwork, she skillfully captured the theme, “Voices of Today, Visions of Tomorrow.” Currently a senior at Bethel High School, Ava has also secured a full scholarship to the University of Virginia for this Fall.

▼Winning Artwork

Ava's artist statement below explains her interpretation of the Young Artists and Authors Showcase theme:

"Foundations," exemplifies the generational foundations African-American women have laid over the past 200 years. We, as a society, would not be successful without the contributions and successes of our ancestors. In this piece, I depict generations of women laying hands on the generation to come--"pouring into each other." By showing the lineage of prominent female figures, young women are able to see remarkable examples of leadership, inspiring them to forge their own path and goals.

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We invite you to help us expand our bond in the global community by your participation. Many of our events are free and open to the public so visit our site often or follow us on Facebook so you can make plans to join us.

Scheduled Events
for 2026