Submission Guidelines

Thank you for your willingness to submit your loved one to The INTO LIGHT Project’s exhibition: Drug Addiction: Real People, Real Stories. Be assured that you are not sending your submission into a large conglomerate site where it may or may not be seen. There is no competition or selection process to secure a spot in the exhibition. While The INTO LIGHT Project is a National Non-profit, two people, Theresa Clower, Founder and CEO, and Barbara Francois, COO, consider each submission personally the week they are received. Each submission is accepted on a first-come, first accepted basis on its compliance with the outlined criteria, with some consideration for representation of the diversity of population that the disease of drug addiction affects.

ONLY Complete submissions (meaning photos are sufficient to render a portrait from, and narrative information is adequate to construct a meaningful narrative) are accepted.

If your submission does not meet the criteria for inclusion, you will be informed within a day or two, and you are welcome to re-submit immediately with better photos and more complete narrative information. If there is space, and photos and narrative information are acceptable on your next submission, your loved one will be eligible for inclusion in the exhibition.

We understand it is difficult to write responses to our questionnaire and to cull through photos to find just the right one. We look at both the portrait and narrative as a legacy, one that will be passed down and viewed many times. That requires careful consideration of the photos you send and the responses you provide for us. You will receive both the original, framed portrait and a catalog of narratives with scanned portraits at the Gifting Gathering at the end of the exhibition, as our gift to you. There is no charge to submit to our project.

We proudly present a dignified and professional exhibition to pay tribute to your loved ones who struggled with addiction, or who died by overdose, or poisoning, ensuring they receive the respect and dignity they deserve. Producing each state’s exhibition requires $50,000, which is supported by grants that we submit, sponsorships that we find, and individual donations. These expenses include the cost of professional writers and artists, graphic design, web developers, curation, educational programming, framing, advertising, printing and much more. There is never a charge to those submitting.

In appreciation of your submission, participants receive:

• An original, framed portrait created by a professional artist
• “Ask Me About” Buttons of your loved one to wear as a “walking exhibition”

The value of these commemorative gifts you receive exceeds $500. If you’re able, we invite you to support INTO LIGHT exhibitions with a donation of any amount. Contribute here: https://intolightproject.org/support/

Please review our website for past exhibits to see the quality of portraits and how much information is included in the narratives.

Please carefully read the submission guidelines and photo requirements before submitting to the project.

1. The individual who is submitted for the exhibition must have died from substance use disorder, a drug overdose, drug poisoning or related causes due to drug use, or addiction, as defined by the person submitting to the project.
2. The individual must have lived, died, or had a connection to the state in which you are applying. For instance, if the person submitting lives in the state where the exhibition is held, they can submit their loved one regardless of where they passed away. If you do not qualify for these criteria, you can go to our Speak Out submission page and submit your interest for states where we have not yet held an exhibit. We will contact you when that state is in planning and you can submit a full submission at that time.
3. You must fill out, in its entirety, the detailed information form/questionnaire and provide photos. If none of the photos are usable or there is not enough information from which to write a narrative, your submission will be returned. You can submit again before the deadline. If the criteria are met, and there is still space in the exhibition, you will be eligible to be included in the exhibit.
4. By submitting the application and being included in the exhibition, you agree to media or other news coverage of your loved one’s portrait and information included in the narrative, even beyond the original exhibition in which they are included.
5. You also agree to the potential use of photos or video taken at the exhibit, including the opening and closing gatherings, which could include images of yourself as well as the drawn portraits, or information from the narratives.
6. A digital image of the drawing will be sent to you for suggested changes when it is near completion. Once approved, the drawing will be signed. You may not request alterations to the portrait after that point.
7. Our professional writers will send a draft of the narrative for your review. Once it is approved by you, we will consider it completed.
8. Each family receives one, framed, original portrait and a catalog of narratives as a gift, at our Gifting Gathering – a $500.00 value.

Information for Selecting Images to Send

The images you select for your drawing are VERY important. Not all photographs are suitable for a graphite portrait. Please select 1-3 photos with care and consideration. The following tips will help you to decide which images to send.

1. When choosing an image, ask yourself, “Is this how I want them remembered?” The photo should be a good representation of your loved one. A shoulder or headshot is best. This will provide the details needed to capture their essence. Though we only draw the portrait of the loved one, other people can be in the photograph, just be sure to indicate which person in the photo is being submitted. The most important thing is that the details are clear, and the image can be enlarged without becoming grainy.
2. Photos can be from any time during your loved one’s life. If you prefer a portrait of them as a child, that is acceptable. The same guidelines apply.
3. Any angle is fine. They can be looking straight at the camera, in three-quarters view, or in profile. No sunglasses or far-away photos are accepted. High resolution and jpeg photos are best. We accept JPG, PNG, TIFF, HEIC and GIF.
4. Consider the contrast of light and dark as this helps when working in graphite. Several images (at least 3) are preferred, as we have a chance of at least one of them fitting the criteria.
5. Be sure that you would be happy with any of the photos you send being the final portrait.
6. The artists’ work directly from one photo that is agreed upon between the artist and the person submitting. The artist will use only that photo as their reference for the portrait, we do not do composites. If the submitter changes their mind about the reference after the portrait is started and wants a different photo as a reference, there will be a $300.00 charge for the second portrait.

There are up to thirty slots available in each exhibition. Only completed questionnaires, accompanied by acceptable photograph(s) of your loved one, and enough information for a professional narrative of approximately 500 words, will be considered for participation. You can reapply immediately if your submission is not accepted the first time because of an incomplete information or unusable photos. If your new submission is acceptable, you will be eligible for inclusion. Any submissions coming in after all spots are filled or past the deadline will be put on a waiting list. Submission to The INTO LIGHT Project does not guarantee acceptance.

Narrative Questionnaire

Please download the questionnaire and complete your answers in a saved document, then use that information to fill out the form. Technical glitches happen, and we do not want you to lose your work.

The INTO LIGHT Project exhibitions receive a great deal of publicity, and educational programming is held throughout the exhibition. We strive to educate the public about the disease of addiction and to help dismantle damaging stereotypes about those who have the disease. The exhibitions are professional, elegant and effective in humanizing addiction and reducing stigma. You can be proud to have your loved one be part of this exhibition. Therefore, it is important that we have the information and quality of photos requested.

Carefully consider each question and give as full a response as you can. Do not gloss over any information requested in the questionnaire or skimp on responses. We read every word. More information is better. Though we may not use all the information in the narrative, much of it helps us to understand your loved one, their personality, life goals, interests and other things that help construct a meaningful life narrative. When including parents, significant others, siblings, and children, be sure to write about their relationship with them, their ages, if relevant, (mostly for children) and what they enjoyed doing together. Know that we will draw some direct quotes from things you include in the narrative to make it more interesting and humanistic. Humanizing addiction is the first step in reducing stigma.

“Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.”  Pema Chödrön

The INTO LIGHT Project is supported by donations. While there is no cost to those who submit, contributions are always welcome. Please click here if you would like to help us erase the stigma of drug addiction by making a donation.