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NYC Arts in Education Roundtable

Seeking Student Artists: Second Annual “It Starts With the Arts” Art Competition

3 minutes

The NYC Arts in Education Roundtable is back with our “It Starts With the Arts” Campaign. This year, we are hosting our second annual citywide visual art competition to recognize and celebrate the talent of New York City students.

We are seeking student artwork to be featured on “It Starts With the Arts” campaign postcards that will be circulated to government officials and shared in campaign materials in support of increased funding for arts education in our public schools. The Roundtable will select three winners who, along with having their art featured, will receive $200 Visa gift cards, and be honored in-person at Face to Face 2024, the Roundtable’s annual arts education conference. 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 January 31, 2024

How to Submit

  1. Create a work of art inspired by “It Starts With the Arts.” What does arts education mean to you? What does it look like to have arts for all students? Why are the arts important to you and our world? Show us with your original digital or physical art! Please note that your artwork will be printed on physical postcards – digital art should not include animation.
  2. Submit your artwork using the Google Form below! Enter by 11:59pm ET on January 31, 2024 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.
  3. Sit tight and wait to hear the results! We will announce winners and runners-up by the end of February 2024.

*If selected, the Roundtable will pay for physical artwork to be picked up or mailed to our offices. Original artwork will be framed and returned to the artist by June 2024.

Submit 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 photo or image that was created by someone other than the student will not be accepted.

Entries should be inspired by the title “It Starts With the Arts” and can use any medium that can be physically printed on a 2D, 4 in. by 6 in. postcard (any size using a 2:3 aspect ratio will be accepted but will be sized down to postcard size). Templates are available in .pdf and .png form for download at the bottom of this page. 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.

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 2023 are not eligible to reenter in this year’s competition.

Prizes

Three winners will be selected to have their artwork printed on “It Starts With the Arts” postcards and campaign materials, featured on the Roundtable website and/or social media channels, and receive $200 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 artwork 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, Roundtable Operations Manager, at alatorre@nycaieroundtable.org! We can’t wait to see your artwork.