Serving Art Educators
and Students Since 1994
Art Contests for Everyone
There are some who say that there should not be art contests. This page is for those who disagree and want to enter contests. Why have contests? Recognition, making money off art, and a chance to get a reduction of tuition or a free ticket to college are some incentives.
Elementary Level Art Contests / Exhibitions
TAP Elementary School Art Contest - First place: $150.
U.S. Kids Annual Cover Contest - Winner announced in the May 2016 issue. K-8th grade.
Middle School/Jr. High Art Contests / Exhibitions
Decide to Drive Poster Design Contest - From the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Open to grades 5 - 8.
Scholastic and Writing Awards - This competition is held across the country in many locations.
Kansas Student Technology Leaders competition - This is open only to grade 6-12 Kansas students. Judged items: multimedia, video, technology integration, and website. Deadline: March 9.
High School Art Contests / Exhibitions
www.MyFeenix.com - $10,000 in prizes. They report that they currently have no contests planned.
Scholastic Art and Writing Awards - This contest is held across the country every year.
Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition - For artists 16 and over.
The CREATE 4 FREEDOM contest encourages students to choose one of the 4 Freedoms (Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want, or Freedom from Fear) and create a new work of art or poetry that expresses how and why that freedom is relevant.
Kansas Student Technology Leaders competition - This is open only to grade 6-12 Kansas students. Judged items: multimedia, video, technology integration, and website. Deadline: March 9.
Science without Borders® Challenge - Students are asked to submit a video presentation that could include any combination of interviews, comic storyboards, photography, and original footage to answer the challenge question.
Southern Teachers Agency - Grades 8-12 attending STA schools are eligible to compete. Deadline is late March each year.
Western Governors' Association - "Celebrate the West" High School Art Competition. You can submit annually.
K-12 Art Contests
Celebrating Art - Over $5000 in prizes go to students and teachers for each contest.
Constitution Day Poster Contest - Sponsored by the National Archives- Plains Region. Deadline is early October each year.
Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest - Endangered Species Day is a celebration of the nation's wildlife and wild places. The Youth Art Contest provides K-12 students with an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork.
Get to Know Contest - Wildlife artist Robert Bateman is offering prizes and publication in a national publication for Canadian students age 19 and under.
Mystery Build $15k Art Challenge - *Create a work of art using only the materials in a Mystery Build Kit.
NASCO Sketchables Art Contest - A chance to enhance your art budget.
- PIH Youth Art Competition - This is sponsored by the Office of Public and Indian Housing.
Radiant Peace Education Awards - Entry categories include essays, art, videos, and projects. Winners and honorable mentions receive cash prizes; the winner's classrooms receive awards. Deadline April 21.
State-fish Art Contest - Open every year for grades K-12. Order the free CD while you're at it on that page. They even pay for shipping!
Art Contests for Anyone / Exhibitions
A' Design Award - This contest aims to highlight the excellent qualifications of best designs, design concepts and design oriented products & services.
American Art Awards - International Contest placing the works of painters, photographers, and sculptors in front of 25 of America's best galleries.
Armed Services YMCA - their contest is in November
Art Prize - Billed as the largest art competition in the world. Art Prize has been covered by IAD. Come even if you don't enter. This is worth the visit!
Australian Art Competitions Directory - They have a calendar of art competitions from around the world.
Best Art Competitions to Enter in 2020 - This is a list of around 40 competitions that anyone can enter.
B.J. Spoke Gallery - They have an annual juried competition.
Chelsea International Fine Art Competition - With $70,000 in prizes.
Congressional Art Competition - Each year, Members of Congress hold contests within their districts to choose winning pieces of art by high school students.
Earth Science Week Art and Photography Contests - for grades K-9
Halloween Art Contest from Cricket. Deadline is October 25.
Halloween Photo Contest - Begins late September each year.
Los Angeles Center for Digital Art - Winners get cash prizes and prints of their work
L. Ron Hubbard Illustrators of the Future Contest - There is not age limit on this quarterly contest. There is no entry fee.
Masters of Today - They accept art for inclusion of their art books.
Mystery Build $15k Art Challenge - *Create a work of art using only the materials in a Mystery Build Kit.
www.MyFeenix.com - $10,000 in prizes. An art contest to bring to life a gargoyle named Feenix in a NYT best selling novel in one of three ways: Two-dimensional art, Three-Dimensional creation or Computer-imaged art. Amateurs, professionals, teachers - anyone welcome.
Public Jones - You win a prize for the best visual interpretation of one of their songs.
Save the Frogs Art Contest - This contest incorporates art and science and is open to anyone.
4-H - Every summer, state counties have art competitions. Look your state up for details.
University Level / Adult Art Contests / Exhibitions
Adobe Design Achievement Award - Submit by June.
Art Addiction Medial Museum - Art Addictions exhibitions consist of Medial Annuals and Biennales.
Artists Magazine All Media Competition - Also see their Artistic Excellence Competition. They say these competitions are open to the world.
Artzond Festival - The International Forum of Contemporary Conceptual Tendential Arts, based in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Karuta 2020 - An annual competition to promote the 2020 Olympic Games in Japan.
Latin American Contemporary Fine Art Competition - Sponsored by Agora Gallery, all artists from Latin America, the Caribbean and Latin origin living around the world are welcome to participate.
Patterns Design T-Shirt Contest - A competition from Spreadshirt.
Ray and Nancy Loeschner Art Competition - Hosted by the Meijer Sculpture Gardens. The deadline is November each year.
RayMar's Fine Art Competition - A $10,000 grand prize.
Sites With Lists of Competitions
Mid-Michigan Art Guild - With a searchable database
HobbySpace - Contests related to space
