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NYC Arts in Education Roundtable

Seeking Student Artists: “It Starts With the Arts” Art & Poetry Competition

3–5 minutes

The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is back with our “It Starts With the Arts” Campaign. This year, we are hosting our fourth annual citywide art competition to recognize and celebrate the talent of New York City students. For the first time, this competition will accept both visual art and poetry submissions.

We are seeking student work to be featured on “It Starts With the Arts” campaign materials that will be circulated to government officials and the general public in support of improved policy and access to arts education. The Roundtable will select three visual art winners and three poetry winners who, along with having their art featured, will receive $150 Visa gift cards, and be honored in-person at Face to Face 2026, the Roundtable’s annual arts education conference, on Wednesday, April 8. Runners-up will be featured on our website and social media channels and will receive $50 Visa gift cards. Click here to see last year’s It Starts With the Arts Student Artists and learn more about this competition below!

Submission Deadline: 11:59pm ET on Monday, March 9, 2026

How to Submit

  1. Create a work of art or poetry inspired by the prompt, “Why do the arts matter?” Think about: Why the arts matter to you, to your family, or to New York City. Why are the arts important to our world? Show us with your original art or poetry! Please note that your artwork will be printed on campaign materials – digital art should not include animation. Poetry and art should be able to fit on a half sheet of paper (5.5″ x 8.5″). For poetry submissions, no more than 20 lines of text preferred. Artwork must be able to be printed on a half sheet of paper (actual artwork can be larger).
  2. Submit your artwork using the Google Form below! Enter by 11:59pm ET on March 9, 2026 for a chance to win. Digital artwork can be submitted as a .png or .jpeg file. Physical artwork* should be scanned or photographed and submitted as a .png, .jpeg, or .pdf file. Poetry may be submitted typed in .doc/.docx or .pdf formats or a scan can be uploaded of handwritten work. Please note, a Google account is needed to submit via Google Form. If you do not have one or have issues with the form, you may follow these instructions to submit via email.
  3. Sit tight and wait to hear the results! We will announce winners and runners-up by mid-March 2026.

*If selected, the Roundtable will pay for physical works to be picked up or mailed to our offices. Original artwork will be framed and returned to the artist by May 2026.

Enter the Competition Here!

Submission Requirements

Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate U.S. copyright laws. Any entry that has been copied from an existing work that was created by someone other than the student will not be accepted. Only one entry per student.

Entries should be inspired by the prompt, “Why do the arts matter?” and can use any medium that can be physically printed on 2D campaign materials no larger than a half sheet of paper. All designs will have an “It Starts With the Arts” logo added to a corner of the artwork if they do not already incorporate it. The “It Starts With the Arts” logo is available for download here.

Eligibility

  • Artists must be currently enrolled in an NYC public school.
  • Artists who are 13 years old or younger must have a parent or legal guardian complete their Google Form submission.
  • Artists selected as winners in previous years are not eligible to reenter in this year’s competition.

Prizes

Six winners (three visual artists and three poets) will be selected to have their art and poetry printed on “It Starts With the Arts” campaign materials, featured on the Roundtable website and/or social media channels, and receive $150 Visa gift cards. They will also have the opportunity to be honored in-person at our annual Face to Face arts education conference in April.

Runners-up will be selected; they will have their art featured on the Roundtable website and social media channels and receive $50 Visa gift cards.

All student artists will be credited with their First Name, Last Initial, and Borough and be given the opportunity to participate in our advocacy as interested.

Questions?

Reach out to Alex La Torre, Operations Director, at alatorre@nycaieroundtable.org! We can’t wait to see your art and poetry!

Enter the Competition Here!