How to Enter

Complete the online form beginning December 1, 2017 and upload images. The entry deadline is February 26, 2018.

Guidelines, Notification, and Delivery

Teachers may submit only ONE artwork per grade level. Entries must be made through a public, private, or home school teacher or instructor of an art program.

The exhibition is open to all K-12 students residing in Arkansas. Art must be original and completed within the current 2017-2018 school year. Original works in all media including drawings, paintings, prints, photographs, collages, crafts and sculpture are eligible.

Dimensions of 2D and 3D work must not be more than 36 inches in any direction and must weigh less than 50 lbs.

Collaborative projects may be submitted as a single entry. Teachers who work with multiple grade levels may submit one collaborative piece to represent the highest grade level of the students involved. A collaborative project is defined as an artwork made by a group of students who work together towards the final product. A group of individuals’ works brought together using a display aid does not qualify.

Notifications of selected artwork will be sent March 12, 2018. Directions on how to prepare and ship the artwork will be provided to the teachers of selected students. Selected artwork must arrive at the Arkansas Arts Center by March 30, 2018. Any late works will not be considered for awards.

Awards

Works will be selected for the exhibition by a pool of professional artists, collectors, and art educators. They will select works based on the uploaded images from the online entry form. Teachers will be notified of selected works and given instructions on how to prepare and deliver the artwork. Once all artworks are delivered to the Arkansas Arts Center, a grand juror will select the following awards: 1 Best In Class for each grade, 2 Honorable Mentions for each grade, Ray Smenner Best in Show Painting Award, and Mid-Southern Watercolorists Best in Show watercolor award.

RETURNING! One Teacher’s Choice award per grade level will be selected by the Arkansas Art Educators Association on March 14-21, 2018. Voting forms will be sent to members of the Arkansas Art Educators Association; please make sure both your membership and email address are current and correct.

Travel

Submission of entry constitutes an agreement to travel. All 2D artworks that measure 18" x 26" or less (without a mat) will be considered for the traveling exhibition. Please note it is not necessary to mat any artworks until it is selected for exhibition. The chosen artworks for travel will enter a loan to the Arkansas Arts Center for up to two years, until September 2020. During this time the artworks will be exhibited around the state for one year and at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in the second year. For more information contact State Services at 501-396-0350.

Digital Images

Artworks are selected for the exhibition based on the digital image submissions. Images should be clear and show the entire artwork. Medium resolution images are preferred. Resolution is sufficient when the image is easily viewed on an average size computer monitor. Keep images free of identifying information (artist name, etc.) as this information will require cropping of the image. Entries are not accepted via email.

Agreement

The Arkansas Arts Center reserves the right to omit any artwork from display due to space or condition concerns. The Arkansas Arts Center reserves the right to reproduce accepted artwork in a brochure, website, and in the media to promote the exhibition. Upon submission of this form you agree to receive emails pertaining to the competition for the duration of the entry process. Submission to this exhibition constitutes an agreement on the part of the entrant to the conditions set forth in this prospectus.

If you have any further questions, please contact (501) 372-4000 or yaa@arkansasartscenter.org.