POP (Public Option Please), our health care reform advocacy campaign, is announcing an arts contest.  Inspired by artists behind the successful “Manifest Hope” project, the effort is designed to provide a vehicle for artists to help reframe the debate surrounding health care.

Whereas Congress is focused on bending cost curves and protecting insurance company profits, artists can express the moral case for health care as a human right.  They can help to shape a vision of the future where 44,000 people don’t die each year in the United States for want of health care.

The panel of judges includes:

• Arianna Huffington, the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post
• Jesse Dylan, director of the Emmy Award-winning video, YES WE CAN SONG, inspired by Barack Obama
• Arlene Holt Baker, Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO
• Aaron Rose, film director, art show curator, musician and writer responsible for the Beautiful Losers art movement and world tour
• Marshall Ganz, renowned organizer and lead architect of the Obama campaign’s community organizing efforts

The contest will run from now until October 31.  The judges will select a first, second and third prize and then the public will be able to vote for a people’s choice award.  The first prize winner will receive $1000, 2nd prize will receive will receive $750, and third prize will receive $500.  The public choice award will also receive $750.  The works will be featured on posters, t-shirts and stickers and proceeds with go to POP4All, a non-profit organization that works for ongoing health care reform.

“Artists have a unique ability – by speaking to us in an honest, engaging, emotional language – to remind us of the human side of the healthcare issue,” said artist and film director, Jesse Dylan.

Contest entries can be uploaded  on the POP website.  The contest rules are available here.

The POP campaign was launched last week,  inspired by the work of Marshall Ganz who has spoken extensively about the need to reclaim the health care debate and create an ongoing movement for health care as a human right.

Be sure to follow @PublicOptionPls on Twitter