ART + DESIGN COMPETITIONS

Student Art Guide, 50+ Amazing Student Art Competitions

National Geographic student photo contest Sponsored by the National Geographic, this annual photography competition is open to legal residents of the United States in grades 9-12. Entrants must submit an original photograph that encompasses what exploration or adventure means to them, along with a short description (100 words or less) explaining this. Each entrant is eligible to submit up to five photographs for judging. The Grand Prize winner has the option of an all-inclusive trip to Paris, London, Prague or San Francisco for a National Geographic Student Expedition Photography Workshop. The value of this prize is estimated to be US$7,000. The 2nd and 3rd place prizewinners receive a $250 and $100 gift certificate to the National Geographic online store. Applications are judged on photographic quality (50%), how well the photograph conveys a sense of exploration or adventure (25%) and the quality of the photograph’s description (25%). 

Adobe Youth Voices Award The Adobe Youth Voices Awards is a global competition that encourages and empowers youth around the world to express their desire for positive change through visual storytelling. Applicants are invited to investigate issues that are significant to them and to propose possible solutions that might resolve these issues. Submissions can be made into the following entries: animation, documentary, music video, narrative, poetry/experimental, photo essay or poster campaign. The top 3 submissions from each category are awarded an Adobe Youth Voices Award, with prizes for the artists and their school. 1st place prizes include a US$2,000 donation to a charity of choice, an Adobe Creative Cloud membership and 3 Samsung Galaxy Tablets. Winning works also receive international exposure through multiple online and traditional media coverage.

Apocalypse Art Prize The Apocalypse Art Prize is a free painting competition. It aims to encourage young artists to use the Medieval style of manuscript illumination (with resources on their website to help applicants). Applicants must select three subjects from the list of set subject-matter, creating a triptych (set of three paintings that form one work) painted using traditional mediums: gouache, watercolor, egg tempera, distempera, acrylic, oil based painting mediums, or a mixture of these. There are three age groups: 16 years + (competing for prizes of $7,000, $3,000 and $2,000); 12-16 years (competing for a $2,000 prize); and younger than 12 years ($1,000 prize).

Create! Art for Autism This competition aims to showcase the creative talent of those with autism. The competition is open to people aged 11-25 years old that are formally diagnosed with an Autistic Spectrum Condition. There are 5 main categories to enter: 2D Art, 3D Art, Digital Photography, Digital Animation and Poetry. All finalists are invited to the awards ceremony in England as well as presented a £25 Amazon voucher. Highly commended works and winners of the People’s Choice Award receive a £50 Amazon voucher. Overall category winners receive a Kindle Fire HD and their school or organization receives a Create! Artbox. The competition is free to enter. ​

Design-a-Bag Competition – student group category Have you always wanted to design your own bag with the prospect of having it manufactured and produced? Hosted by Fashion Access trade fair, the Design-A-Bag competition is a great opportunity for applicants to showcase their work in front of prominent people in the fashion industry. Cash prizes of US$500 to $US1,500 are awarded for outstanding designs across each category. The best overall design receives a four week leather goods pattern making course in Milan, valued at €5,000. This course enables the winner them to design their collection, which is then exhibited at the Fashion Access Fair held in Hong Kong. There are also air tickets to the awards ceremony, held in Hong Kong, to be won. Applicants must submit three illustrations of their design including two different views of the bag and a technical, scaled drawing. Descriptions, swatches and colours must also be included in the submission. The competition is open to all design students and hopeful designers around the world. No entry fee is required. 

Doodle 4 Google Doodle 4 Google is a competition designed especially for school children, providing them with a unique opportunity to have their design featured on their country’s Google homepage. The competition runs in many different countries with a changing theme each year. Children must submit their doodle along with an application form and short description of what they have created and why. All submissions are grouped and judged in age groups and are critiqued in terms of artistic merit, creativity, and how well the theme is communicated through the artwork. The winner has their Doodle featured on the Google homepage for 24 hours, as well as some serious prizes for them and for their school. The winner of the 2014 US Google 4 Doodle competition (shown below) won a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for their school. Google also donated $20,000 to provide improved facilities in 10 other schools in Bangladesh, in honour of the chosen design. Doodle 4 Google is free to enter.

Western Governors ‘Celebrate the West’ high school art competition This competition is open to high school students Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming. Students must create two-dimensional works, drawing upon sources such as state history, landmarks, natural resources, parks, monuments, communities and culture etc. The overall winner receives $1,000, with second place awarded $500. Winners of each indivual state receive $200.